Tadashi & Elsa
by awayinarendelle
Summary: Ones shots involving my current ship/obsession: Elsa & Tadashi. Why? Because I think they're perfect for one another. These are prompts I did for friends on Tumblr; something that I really enjoy doing. Let the ship sail on. San Fransokyo is…frozen.
1. Daffodils

**A/N:** I really like them together, okay?

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><p>The stillness of the night did nothing to remedy the guilt and anxiety building up from within her as she walked through the empty hallway of the third floor of her campus building. It was already past school hours, and students had left for the day, eager to spend their Friday evening with friends or with Netflix. There were the occasional overachievers who had stayed behind in the library studying for next week's finals, which Elsa planned on doing after she finishes her task of—whatever it is that she was about to do.<p>

The sound of her footsteps echoed through the walls but were overshadowed and drowned by the tumultuous somersaults her heart was currently performing. She was a reluctant audience of one. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. Heavy and defeated feet finally made their way to their destination.

_The sooner the better._

Step.

Elsa's heart skipped a beat, finally pausing for a second. Standing over her was a dark wooden door separating her from what she wanted most in the world.

Step.

_**Room A113**_**.** Tadashi Hamada's lab.

_This is the right thing to do…_

Tired blue eyes surveyed the offensive door and her mind wandered back to the one person who consumed 99.9% of her thoughts—her sister Anna. Ever since the accident, all she has ever done was lock herself in her room and ignore the stubborn and unerelenting sound of Anna's knocks. All she ever did was shut the door and pretend not to hear her sister's soft whimpers in the middle of the night as she leaned against the doorframe, praying for Elsa to come out. No, she cannot hurt her. Not again. Not ever. It was better that way. Moving from Norway to San Fransokyo was the hardest thing she has ever done, but she was set on doing anything and everything just to keep her sister safe.

_I am not good for her. I will end up harming her again. She is better off without me. _

She had to tell herself that every minute of everyday to refrain from opening that damned door. Her eyes darkened with regret as she remembered enduring those painful nights of ignoring Anna's cries.

_Not now._ She shook her head in attempt to clear her mind of her sins.

_Focus. You have all the time in the world to torture yourself over that. Focus on what's going on right now._

Here she was, with a delicate hand balled up into a fist, hovering over the unforgiving door right in front of her. Elsa took in a shaky breath, ignoring the stinging sensation blinding her eyes.

_Knock. Damn it, do you know how to knock?_

_3….2….1—_

Before she can register what was happening, the door flung wide open.

Elsa staggered to her feet, startled and caught off guard by the unexpected occurrence. Tadashi Hamada stood inches away from her, a quizzical look etched on his face. He was holding a bouquet of fresh daffodils with a blue ribbon neatly wrapped around it.

"Elsa, I was just—"

"Tadashi, we have to—"

"Okay, you go first."

The blonde bit her lip, careful not to shed a tear at the sight of Tadashi's hopeful and expectant face. Her eyes flitted back and forth to Tadashi's lips—his kind, brown eyes—and his lips again. She had practiced what she had wanted to say for hours while underestimating the effect and the hold Tadashi had on her.

Elsa was speechless. Mute. Undone. Held captive.

Captivated.

"Uhm—flowers. I got them for you," Tadashi smiled sheepishly as he extended his gift to Elsa, unaware of the blonde's inner turmoil. Elsa can only stare at him; slowly trying to regain her composure while mustering up whatever courage she had left as Tadashi continued to ramble on.

"I got you daffodils because this flower represents new beginnings and—"

"I can't do this anymore," Elsa suddenly blurted, her voice hoarse and broken by the words that escaped her lips; each letter and each syllable tearing her apart without mercy and without warning.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Tadashi, that kiss last night…was a mistake. _This_ is a mistake," she said in an almost whisper as she dipped her head to the ground, unable to face the one thing–the one person that she had fallen in love with. She was unable to face the reality that she was breaking another person's heart—again. Her sister, and now, him. The words tasted bitter and venomous as they left her mouth, but it cannot be undone.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. I AM A MONSTER._

"I can't be with you, Tadashi. I will end up hurting you like I did with Anna. I told you time and again, but you won't listen! I don't deserve this," she exclaimed weakly while pointing at the flowers in Tadashi's hand. _He got me flowers. _A surge of emotion crashed into her and melted the armor she had tried to build to keep herself from being vulnerable. "I don't deserve you."

"Elsa—" Tadashi took a step forward, but Elsa recoiled and wobbled away from him, her arms wrapping around herself protectively. Blue eyes started to brim with tears while she shook her head vigorously, walking backwards until her back collided with the wall.

"Just stay away from me," she pleaded with arms raised high defensively as if they can hold back the stubborn and hardheaded inventor who sees nothing but beauty and splendor in spite of the fact that Elsa was cowering and falling apart in front of him.

To Tadashi, Elsa epitomized perfection. Elsa was beautiful and divine. Elsa was everything that he will ever want and need in this life and beyond. Ignoring her pleas and her demands to make him stay away, he gently bended his knees to place the flowers neatly on the floor.

He then stood up, tall and undeterred, and took a few steps to the sobbing wreck that is Elsa Arendelle. The blonde was now sitting on the ground, her head low and her arms wrapped around her knees like she was trying to shield herself from what might come next: Tadashi's angry words—or—the sound of his footsteps walking away from her. The thought of the latter made her succumb to a deeper level of sorrow and made her cry even more.

_But that's what I want…right?_

But Tadashi did none of those.

He kneeled in front of Elsa and gently placed his hands on both sides of her head, carefully lifting her face so she can look at him. Elsa was surprised by Tadashi's touch, surprised by the fact that he was still there. She blinked once. Twice.

She was at a loss for words once again.

She was lost in his eyes once again.

Big brown eyes zeroed in on her face. Big brown eyes lacking remorse and hatred. There was only light. Understanding. Acceptance.

"Elsa, I'm not giving up on you," Tadashi said in a firm yet gentle voice. "I keep telling you this. I will never give up on you," he slid his hands to her face, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "You're all I want."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Elsa hissed, wishing Tadashi wasn't that close—close enough to touch. Close enough to kiss. Close enough to embrace and never let go of.

Tadashi just smiled that gorgeous smile Elsa loved, prompting her to add that stupid image of him pulling his cheeks apart to reveal a child-like and sunny grin to her mental list of things to hate about him so she can try to move on. Unfortunately for her, the list was long.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Why not? You're beautiful," he said as-a-matter-of-factly, his hands still glued on her face. Elsa tried to pry them away from her, but he simply wouldn't let go. There was no use of fighting against a six feet tall Japanese man, so she had given up and glared at him instead.

"I'm not letting you go. I want to catch your tears as they fall."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

Tadashi chuckled. "Do we really have to go over this again? I am _not_ giving up on you. I never did. I never will."

Elsa sighed and closed her eyes; the warmth of Tadashi's hands on her cheeks sent a calming energy to her nerves and her restless heart, putting an abrupt halt to the chaos swirling in her core. The last thing she wanted was for him to let go, to go away…but she must do what was needed…what was safe.

Tadashi tilted his head, examining Elsa and memorizing every freckle and every feature drawn on her face. He smiled again in mild disbelief that this was the same girl he had kissed the night before. The only girl that he wants to kiss for the rest of his life. "I came here to tell you we can't be together," Elsa started, avoiding Tadashi's eyes. "Yeah, I heard you. And I'm pretty sure I disagreed."

She frowned and felt her nerves awaken from their temporary slumber. "You don't understand what you're dealing with. You don't know what I'm cap—"

"Aishiteru."

Elsa's knowledge of the Japanese language was limited since she had only started to learn it, but she knew fully well what Tadashi said. She knew what it meant that her heart responded by pounding and thrashing furiously against her ribcage.

"You…what?"

"Aishiteru. I-love-you," Tadashi replied slowly without blinking or hesitating. "Elsa, I love you."

Elsa shot him an incredulous look before immediately rising up from the floor as if it was suddenly set on fire. She had to leave. Run away. Right now. She had to leave _now_.

But once again and without fail, Tadashi caught her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in towards him, his arms tightening around her form and unwilling to let her move or even speak. Elsa tried to detach herself from him by tugging aggressively at the back of his shirt futilely while Tadashi disarmed her, burying his face on her shoulder.

"Let me go!" Elsa whimpered as a fresh batch of tears made their way to her cheeks and Tadashi's shirt.

"Never," Tadashi said in a muffled voice, his face still nuzzling Elsa's shoulder.

When he was certain that Elsa would no longer run, he grabbed her by the arms and pinned her against the wall, forcing her to face him. Tadashi was no longer smiling.

"Elsa, I'm not giving up on you. You don't understand this yet, but I need you. I want you. I love you. Nothing you say or do will push me away or scare me off. Elsa, I love you. I will keep repeating that over and over again until you understand it and believe it."

The depth and sincerity of Tadashi's words left Elsa stunned and immobile. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, a battle between fire and ice. Elsa was sure that the conflicted muscle locked behind her chest was about to burst as her ears roared.

_Tadashi…loves me. He's not scared of me…?_

Without letting go of her arms, Tadashi continued on, staring at Elsa intently without wavering. "In fact, let me start now. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I—"

Elsa's lips crushing against his interrupted his chant. But Tadashi had no problem with the rude interruption and his hands crept to her face without breaking contact while he closed the gap between them. Elsa knocked Tadashi's baseball hat off, her fingers tangling into his hair as an urgent need to pull him closer overwhelmed her. She parted her lips, allowing Tadashi to slip his tongue in her mouth, her own clashing and dancing along with his.

Her hands suddenly had a life of their own: travelling on the back of his neck, his broad shoulders, and his face again. Elsa was taking Tadashi's essence in; the scent of his cologne, the feel of his soft hands on her skin, the taste of lips. Elsa's knees were starting to weaken, but gladly Tadashi was holding her, almost out of breath yet hungrily devouring her lips with his own over and over again.

_Is this really wrong? But it feels so…right._

It was Elsa who broke free first, much to Tadashi's annoyance. They were both panting like marathon runners who had just finished their final lap and yet willing to run another extra mile, perspiration building up and dotting both their flushed faces. Tadashi grabbed Elsa by the waist and rested his forehead against hers. They can only gaze at each other, wordless and unblinking.

"If this is your method of trying to push me away, I wouldn't mind you doing it every second," Tadashi said in a low and sultry voice that made Elsa shiver. They were still cradling each other, no longer able to deny the chemistry and the unfathomable force binding them together.

"Tadashi, we really need to talk about this. The repercussions—"

"We'll talk later. You can keep telling me to leave, but we both know I'm not going anywhere."

Elsa sighed but she coiled her arms tighter around Tadashi's neck. "Yes, that is a problem."

"That is the opposite of a problem, Elsa."

"We can't keep doing this. We _really_ need to talk ab—"

"I love you."

Pause.

Elsa had lost this battle. She knew from the very beginning that she didn't stand a chance. She gazed up at him and felt her fears slowly vanish with each touch of his hand against her skin. He never flinched. He never showed any sign of disgust. Not then, not once, not ever. There was a brewing and bubbling phenomenon rising from the depths of her soul, something she had not felt in a very long time.

_Hope._

A beat.

"Jeg elsker deg," Elsa whispered timidly as her cheeks started to redden against the fluorescent light hanging above them.

"What does that mean?"

"Look it up, nerd."

"I think I already know."

Tadashi looked at Elsa as if he were seeing the sun for the very first time. But the thing was, he always laid his eyes on her like she was an angel descending from heaven each and every time he was graced by her presence. A celestial being. A reason to keep on living. A reason to keep on hoping and creating beautiful things. He smiled at her before dissolving the unwanted space between their lips once more.


	2. Creation

**A/N:** Create things…that's what Elsa and Tadashi do best.

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><p>"I think this is our best work," Elsa said proudly, zipping her jacket up a little higher, the sting of winter's air causing her to shiver slightly. It was colder than usual in the middle of November, and the blonde chastised herself for opting to wear just a light jacket instead of a heavy coat. <em>It'll only take a few minutes and it's not like I walked all the way out here<em>. She gripped the car keys inside her jean pocket while taking a few steps forward.

"I know you two haven't met yet, but I promise it'll be worth the wait."

A sigh.

Elsa folded her arms in front of her chest and examined her surroundings. Sky blue orbs with dark circles under them cast their gaze on a weeping willow a few yards away from where she was standing. She squinted her eyes to take a better look when a quick surge of pain speared its way to her frontal lobe. Nowadays, each simple movement resulted to headaches and migraines. Straining her eyelids to have a better view of a tree was one among many.

She has not been sleeping well.

"You know, I'm not very fond of that tree in our backyard," she commented. "But I like your idea of making a tree house out of it. Anna would enjoy that, too." Elsa chuckled humorlessly, swallowing back saliva to moisturize her dry and aching throat.

She has been crying for days.

Disregarding the mud and the dirt that will stain her jeans, Elsa gently and carefully squatted on the ground, not having a single care that it was wet and sticky from the rain. It's not like she has been doing laundry lately anyway. She was always the one to be mortified by dirt and germs, but recently, she didn't mind them so much. She felt brittle leaves crunch under her as a pale and delicate hand seized a patch of grass that sprouted from the fresh heap of earth that she was sitting on.

They were so close to each other and yet so far away.

So, so far away.

Elsa inhaled slowly with her eyes closed before facing him.

_Breathe._

There was no face to look at. No voice to hear. No smile to see. Her hand crept up to the carved letterings on the gravestone in front of her. With her index finger, she traced the name engraved on it—slowly, as if touching them could help her make sense of her world and her life.

From one letter to the other, she spelled the name of the man who changed hers.

_T-A-D-A-S-H-I_

Elsa Arendelle- Hamada rested her forehead against the lifeless stone where her husband laid. If she can only embrace it, she would, but her arms were too frail and her frame too small to wrap herself around what was left of Tadashi. She felt foolish for thinking such thoughts. He has been dead for two weeks and he's not coming back.

_He's not here anymore._

Blinking away hot and defeated tears, Elsa pounded a fist on the cold marble, letting the pain linger for a bit to distract her from the unending and excruciating onslaught her heart was suffering from every minute of her existence.

"I miss you so much," she confessed in a weak voice, void of energy and broken from sorrow. "We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together."

As if mocking her pain, Tadashi's gravestone stood quiet and stark before her, much like the unresponsive and apathetic God who ignored her prayers to revive her husband. She roughly brushed the tears away with the sleeves of her jacket and felt her headache come back with a vengeance.

It was Tadashi who knew how to remedy her migraines with surprise hugs and kisses galore. It was Tadashi who knew how to evaporate her tears and make her breathless from fits of laughter. But remembering all of these made Elsa sink even more because these are all but memories. Intangible, formless, and can only be contained and preserved by her tired and aging mind.

It was getting darker and it was starting to rain again. If it weren't for the news she found out this morning, she would've stayed longer. She would've endured the rain and the cold if it meant more time with Tadashi. But after this morning, after what she discovered, she knew she had to get up and go home. Anna and Hiro were waiting. Aunt Cass cooked dinner to celebrate.

A celebration in the midst of mourning…

She raised herself up from the ground with struggle. She wasn't sure if it was from the exhaustion or the heavy and disfigured heart weighing her down.

"I know you felt bad for not being able to finish building our robot," she sniffled, wiping a stubborn tear away with the bottom of her palm. "I know you wanted to build so many things for me, but it doesn't have to be a robot. You've done so much. We've built so much in our short time together, babe."

Elsa's heart twisted and churned from behind her chest as she fought back the waterfall threatening to stream down her face. "Tadashi," she whispered his name the way she did in the wee hours of the night when they would cuddle under the covers, excitedly talking about their dreams and goals like they had all the time in the world. She was sure the heavens can hear her, and Tadashi was there somewhere listening to everything that she was saying.

"Tadashi, you're going to be a father."

A pause.

In spite of herself, Elsa found herself suddenly smiling. A lop-sided grin graced her worn-out face and she felt something stir within her after saying those words. Something shifted. Thoughts of memories that they will never have consumed her: Tadashi changing their baby's diaper for the first time and making a face while giggling. Tadashi introducing Baymax to their baby. Tadashi teaching the baby how to walk. Tadashi cradling the baby in his arms and humming a tune so he or she can fall asleep.

Tadashi begging her for more babies.

It was what they both wanted the most. A big family.

Elsa snapped her eyes shut for a few minutes and imagined Tadashi wrapping her in an embrace. She let the tears flow this time, allowing them to wash away the anguish and the brokenness even for just a few moments. She had just told the love of her life about the best thing that they have ever created together. She was still one with Tadashi and even death cannot separate them. For two weeks, she thought there was nothing left of him that she can hold onto and love after he departed. Sure, she had his things. The bed they shared. The ring he put on her finger. That silly baseball cap of his. Baymax. But it was not the same.

When she opened her eyes again, the sun had returned from its hiatus as it slowly parted the grey and foreboding clouds away. Darkness had turned to light. Hope surpassed despair. Elsa caressed the belly carrying the product of many, many nights of their love-making with a tender hand before leaning down to kiss the top of his resting place.

For the very last time, Tadashi had given Elsa another gift: something that they made together that is perfect, miraculous and beautiful. Something—someone that will bring joy to her life once more.

Tadashi gave her the gift of life.

Yes, it is still so painful. Yes, she will have many more nights, weeks, and months and even years of crying. Yes, it is ninety-nine percent possible that she will break down and hurt all over again once she gets home. Yes, it will still be hard and unbearable most days. But Elsa walked away from the cemetery with a newfound epiphany: things will get better. Not now, not tomorrow, but they eventually will. She still has Anna along with Hiro— Baymax, Aunt Cass, Olaf, and Kristoff. She still has so much to live for. And she is going to be a mother to a Little Tadashi or a Little Elsa. That is worth fighting for and she is determined to do just that.

Against all logic and reasoning, Elsa was convinced of one thing: he will always live on. Their child will carry his smile, the twinkle in his eyes, and the sound and echo of his laughter. He will always be there for her, through the form of a little growing baby that will always remind her of one thing that was true then and will always be true now:

_**Tadashi is here.**_


	3. Phone Call

**A/N:** A lot of canon stuff going on here with numerous movie references but with a slightly different take—plus Tadashi in the mix. Possibly my most favorite thing that I have written so far.

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><p>"<em>Elsa, Mama and Papa are gone—please come home. I need you—why aren't you picking up my calls?"<em>

"_Elsa, are you okay? I love you. Please call me back. I don't know what to do. Please talk to me. Please? I miss you so much and—I'm so sorry. I just can't—stop crying. Please come back—please—"_

"Elsa—I buried Mama and Papa today. People are asking where you are. I know you talked to Kai, and I'm glad you're safe but please—please call me or just text. Anything. Can we please talk? Even for just a second? I just need to hear your voice. Please?"

"Elsa, what happened? What happened to us? We were best friends—Do you hate me? Please tell me what I did and I won't do it again. I love you. No matter what."

"_Elsa, I know you're there. Please pick up. We only have each other—it's just you and me now—please come back to Norway…even for just a few hours. A few minutes…I'm begging you, please answer me."_

"_Elsa, I don't know what to say anymore—all I know is I love you and I'll never give up on you."_

Her ear was numb from listening to Anna's voicemails repeatedly the previous night, specifically rewinding the ones where Anna said, "I love you." It was one of those nights. She had memorized each word and broke a little bit more upon hearing her sister's soft and helpless whimpers. The little machine seared and clawed at her palm as gleaming blue eyes stared at it wearily, itching and longing to dial the numbers she knew by heart. Elsa had a death grip on her iPhone 6, her thumbs hovering over the screen while her mind raced with a million thoughts per second with vivid images of a redheaded girl with a freckled face disorienting her already mangled brain.

_Will she even pick up? What if she hates me? I mean…I hate me, too._

It has been three months since their parents' demise, and Elsa was still void of courage and strength to reach out to her sister whom she has left alone to grieve by herself back in Norway. Eighty-seven missed calls, thirty voice messages, and sixty-five text messages did not dissuade the stoic elder sister to come out from hiding. But Anna was persistent; she even sent _snail mails_ to catch her sister's attention, yet Elsa still remained mum and unresponsive. Three months into her first semester in San Fransokyo, the reserved blonde had failed to make friends and focused all her attention and energy exclusively to schoolwork, running, and her robotics experiments.

She had failed her sister, and didn't find much solace and incentive to start relationships in a new place when she had abandoned the one person that meant the world to her.

No one had bothered to approach the foreign and intimidatingly smart and attractive Norwegian transfer student except for a sprightly and laid back Robotics Engineering student named Tadashi Hamada, who was paired up with her for a coding project. It was Hamada who took interest in Elsa's skills and _begged_ Callaghan to set them up as lab partners. Though fretful and hesitant, she could not refuse the offer to work with Callaghan's right hand and favorite student. Hamada was under Callaghan's wing and was knowledgeable in deciphering new coding techniques; one of the main reasons why Elsa chose San Franksokyo Institute of Technology—aside from the fact that she was only staying away from Anna to ensure her sister's safety.

It has been three months and a half, and no one in San Fransokyo knew of what happened to Elsa. Not even Tadashi, the closest thing that she had to a friend.

"You know, I really think you should go call him," Tadashi's voice broke through Elsa's frantic thoughts, jostling her back to reality, his back facing her as he fiddled with Project Baymax' helmet with a screw driver. Elsa loosened her grip from her phone and shot Tadashi a curious look, his white shirt drenched with perspiration and glued to his ample back, revealing a ripped and physically fit interior that distracted her for a split second. She swallowed hard and clenched her jaw.

_You can stop staring now. _The blonde silently rebuked herself and diverted her focus back to what he just said.

"Him? Who are you talking about?"

Tadashi paused. "You know, your _boyfriend_. I notice you're always staring at your phone like you're scared to call him. That's the look of missing someone. I'm sure whatever it is that you're fighting about, it's gonna be okay." His tone was gentle and comforting, hoping Elsa would not take it the wrong way as he dared to skate on thin ice by threading to uncharted territory unannounced. He knew of Elsa's reluctance to be involved in intimate and heartfelt conversations—or conversations in general—and he immediately regretted his words as they slipped out of his mouth. Tadashi held his breath, pretending to be unenthused and casual while he screwed the corner of Baymax' head with a dexterous hand.

_Heh. Awkward. I mean, she has to have a boyfriend—right? She can't be single. She's so gorgeous. Pfft. Way to go, Hamada. You're prying again. _

Excruciatingly long seconds had gone by before Elsa responded to Tadashi's well-meaning and random statement. She took a breath before gently placing the phone next to her, straightening her back as she hopped off the table from where she was sitting. The sound of floorboards creaking against her running sneakers reverberated through the lab as she made her way to Tadashi's workstation.

Bright brown eyes met exhausted blues. Tadashi tilted his head and regarded the girl in front of him, growing concerned by how tightly her arms were wrapped around herself. But a shy lop-sided grin rose from the corner of her lips, the dark circles under her eyes visible against the beaming light above them. "I don't have a boyfriend," Elsa said quietly, a distant look clouding her eyes. For some reason, Tadashi felt relieved, the pounding muscle on the left side of his body leapt with unknown joy. A smile was about to split his cheeks apart when he saw a tear trickle down Elsa's pale cheek, which she demurely wiped away with a finger.

Tadashi's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. It dawned on him that he knew nothing about Elsa at all, minus the known fact that she was a pedantic and meticulous student who buried herself in schoolwork day in and day out. He had tried to break through those barriers, inviting her to eat with his friends and attempting to have her engage in random conversations with him about anything else rather than their robotics project. But Elsa was rigid, always ready to refuse; colloquial and overly polite to the point of utter disconnect.

To see Elsa like this was something Tadashi was not prepared for: her naturally well-postured form replaced by a hunched and heavy-laden back, her poised and regal disposition slowly crumbling in front of him.

"It's my sister. We haven't talked in a while." The word 'sister' caused a cascade of guilt and melancholy to drench her from within, soaking and drowning her with sorrow that her body cannot contain and conceal any longer. Her nose had started to sting, her throat drying and aching once again. "I've been wanting to call her, but I don't think she'd want to talk to me." Though her voice was calm and even, Tadashi did not miss the slight hitch in her voice that he could only imagine as a splinter poking her heart. He did not like seeing Elsa like this. But instead of going to the opposite side of the table to embrace his friend, something that he wanted to do so desperately, he dug his heels into the ground and allowed the space between them to linger.

"Elsa, I don't know much about your sister, but I can sense that you two are very close," Tadashi started. "My brother Hiro and I have our misunderstandings, but we always find ways to fix it." He said encouragingly, feeling something within him sting at the sight of Elsa. Elsa shook her head dejectedly, tears threatening to escape her lashes. "But you don't know what happened, Tadashi. You don't know what I did." "I don't. But I know your sister loves you very much."

The blonde turned her back against him, only to be greeted by a closed door looming in front of her. She hated doors. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she waved a dismissive hand, high enough for Tadashi to see. "I'm going back to my apartment, you should go to back to work. I'm sorry for—"

"Elsa, your sister misses you. You should go give her a call."

She chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I highly doubt that. After everything that happened, I'm sure she'll never forgive me."

"For someone so unforgiving, she sure makes a lot of effort to deliver her letters in person," he challenged, unwilling to let her off the hook. Elsa's heart skipped a beat as she whipped her body around to face him.

"What do you mean _in person_?"

Tadashi's eyes flitted back and forth between her eyes and the distracting array of freckles on her nose before smirking. "Your sister's name's Anna, right? Redhead, green eyes, freckles, awfully nice and friendly?" He inquired mirthfully, slightly pleased to see Elsa's expression switching from crestfallen to complete shock.

"What? And you didn't tell me?" she asked with a shrill in her voice. _"Anna was here?!"_

Tadashi sauntered towards her, the playful smile on his face replaced by a placid look. "She didn't want you to know. She was afraid you didn't want to see her." Elsa's heart broke upon hearing those words, but she let Tadashi continue. "We met once in Callaghan's office lobby while she was waiting for him. I happened to be there, waiting for him, too. We talked for a bit, and she mentioned your name and I told her I knew you. She just wanted to know if you were doing okay. She didn't really tell me what was going on between you two, but she asked me to deliver her letters to you."

Elsa swallowed hard, unable to fully register what Tadashi was saying. "So you were the one putting her letters in my mailbox?"

"Correct."

"How is she? Is she okay? Is she safe?" A thousand questions flashed through her mind, questions that she had asked herself every minute since the day she left Norway. Questions that haunted her at night; in her dreams and in her worst nightmares. _Is she eating healthy…did she cut down the chocolates? Is she doing well in her studies? Is she still learning how to sword fight? Is Kristoff treating her well? Did she finally finish that painting of Joan? Is she wearing a jacket when she's up and about? It's getting cold back home…did she get a flu shot yet? Is she sleeping okay?_

_Will she ever forgive me?_

Before she knew it, Tadashi had her collected in his arms, determined to hold her in one piece. A turbulent tide of sadness overwhelmed Elsa as she scrunched up her face, swallowing back the tears of grief and regret. Her lips trembled and her knees wobbled, but Tadashi was intrepid. He kept her safe in the warmth of his embrace, dauntless and willing to feel the repercussions of the catastrophe going on within her while she shook and wailed against his body.

"She's okay," he whispered against her ear, the mesmerizing scent of her shampoo temporarily numbing his senses. "She loves you, Elsa. So much. You have no idea." When those words were spoken, Elsa wrapped her arms around Tadashi's waist, whimpering like a wounded animal seeking for healing and redemption.

"I love her so much, too. So, so, so much," Elsa muttered under her breath, nasally and marred by despair. He held her closer, their bodies synchronizing perfectly against each other like a crucial piece completing an undone mystery of a puzzle.

Tadashi loved her right there and then.

He looked sideways and caught a glimpse of his unfinished robot, feeling determined more than ever to complete its structure and function. _Baymax, from now on, you and I will make sure Elsa's always taken care of. Okay, buddy?_

She inhaled calmly before unlocking her phone, the gadget prompting her to type in her password. A pale and delicate finger tapped the digits on the touch screen without thinking twice; it was the same pass code she used for most of her accounts.

_2-6-6-2_

_A-N-N-A_

She pressed the name from which her password was derived from and hit "Dial." Elsa's heart throbbed furiously against her chest, anticipation twisting her stomach into a tight knot upon hearing Anna's phone ringing against her ear. She had practiced her speech, what she wanted to say. Hell, she even wrote them down. Tadashi helped her verbalize her thoughts into paper and—

"Elsa, is that you?" Anna's hopeful yet hesitant voice permeated through the opposite end of the line, catching Elsa off guard. She didn't expect her to pick up on the first ring. In fact, she didn't expect her to pick up at all. She was prepared to be greeted by Anna's voicemail, prepared to recite her outstanding speech. Prepared to be rejected and ignored.

Elsa clamped her mouth shut with the palm of her hand, suppressing the whimper that was about to escape her lips. Bleary eyes dimmed with longing as she scrambled for words, suddenly forgetting how to speak. "Anna, I am so sorry," she started, her voice trembling and betraying her. "I know I should have been there, I know I'm a terrible sister and I don't deserve your forgiveness—"

"Elsa, there's nothing to forgive. And you're not terrible," Anna cut her off gently, her tone unwavering and filled with conviction. "I love you."

And for the first time in forever, Elsa said the words that she longed to say for months—years. Words that were whispered in the dark of the night against her tear-stained pillow. Words that continued to give meaning to her wayward life. Words that kept her going. Words so true and so real, it dug through the deepest corners of her heart.

Words that she longed for her sister to hear.

"I love you, too, Anna."


	4. Home

**A/N: **I don't own Big Hero 6 or Frozen.

I _do_ accept requests. :) Just give me time to do them. Thank you for your readership!

And these are all **one shots**, not a multi-chapter story. Anything goes. :)

* * *

><p>"Tadashi, it's three-thirty in the morning, you need to go to sleep." Wasabi rubbed his eyes sluggishly with a fist, his frame leaning against the entrance of Tadashi's lab. His dorm was a building away from their campus and he insisted on having Tadashi sleep over since it was already so late, and a morning lecture awaited them in a few hours. The two spent the day whole day working on their robotics projects together, but Tadashi was unusually too engrossed on his current task and missed out on lunch and dinner—much to Wasabi's surprise. His friend had been working on his robot for hours without taking any breaks except for ones where he had to go use the bathroom.<p>

"I have to finish this tonight," Tadashi mumbled without looking up as he struggled to cut a stubborn wire with his bolt cutter. A firm and nimble hand pressed harder to disconnect the relentless piece of aluminum to no avail. "I just have to re-program this and I'm done."

"You're not gonna finish that in one sitting, bro. I promise I'll help you code it after class," Wasabi drawled before releasing a long and tired yawn. "Maybe you can even ask Callaghan for an extension. The man loves you," he suggested, hoping to persuade his friend to leave with him so he can finally feel the warmth of his bed. Sleep, he needed to sleep.

"It's not for Callaghan's class, I already finished that project last week," Tadashi mumbled, brows knitted in concentration. "This is for something else."

Wasabi shot his friend a dubious look as he straightened his back. "What do you mean it's for something else? What exactly are you working on?"

Tadashi sighed and finally looked up to face his friend, loosening his grip on the bolt cutter. "I'm making a minibot," he said while fiddling with the tool in his hand. "It's for Elsa." He felt a flood of heat creep up from his cheeks to the tip of his ears at the mention of Elsa's name. He immediately ducked down to avoid Wasabi's reaction, trying to play it off as if what he just said was totally sensical and not unusual at all. He jammed the bolt cutter back inside the tiny robot's chest, pretending to cut a nonexistent wire.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Tadashi tinkered with the inner structure of his robot's little body, the sound of metal clashing against copper filling the room.

"_You're _making a robot for _Elsa_. Elsa Arendelle?" Wasabi enunciated, disbelief furrowing his brows together. "Tadashi, brother, you're seriously losing your mind." Wasabi stomped into the room to take a closer look at the immobile machine laying flatly on Tadashi's work table.

"Why didn't you tell me that this is for her? And what for?"

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't want the others to know and tell her," he stammered, blanching at how asinine his reply sounded. "I want it to be a surprise."

Wasabi rolled his eyes. "We're not particularly chummy with Elsa to go around and tell her secrets, you know. GoGo and Honey tried to befriend her but it's not particularly…easy. She's just so quiet and a little bit on the _very_ standoff-ish side."

A soft sigh escaped Tadashi's lips. "I know. But there's more to her, I can see it. I just gotta keep trying. You can't just give up on people so easily—I'll find a way to get to know her better even if it means having to build a robot to do the talking for me since she doesn't really like to…talk back," he trailed off, realizing how crazy his idea sounded yet unable to free his mind of the image Elsa's timid smile and the rare sound of her laughter. He shook his head before plunging his hand back into his robot in attempt to finally get it to work.

A thoughtful look flashed across Wasabi's eyes as he placed a hand on Tadashi's shoulder. "You really like this girl, huh?"

"Yeah, I do," Tadashi admitted without a trace of hesitation, shoulders drooping in surrender—and surprise—by how he answered such an intimate question so quickly. He rested his palms on the edge of the table, trying to calm the sudden eruption of butterflies wrecking havoc inside his stomach.

The observant best friend was not at all fazed by this newfound revelation. Oh, he had seen it all: the way Tadashi transformed to a different person after meeting Elsa. Suddenly, there was always a spring in his step, an awful and drastic change in his musical taste that switched from epic superhero soundtracks to sappy love songs, that dopey and stupid smile plastered on his face whenever he talked about her, and that undeniable glow in his dilated pupils whenever he saw her. Wasabi was a science guy and knew little about infatuation except for what it emitted: endorphins, serotonin, and a very smitten and spellbound Tadashi Hamada. _It's just an innocent crush_, he thought.

Wasabi shook his head. "Dude, you don't even know her that much."

"But I _do_. Well, not entirely—but I _will_!"

"Tadashi, brother, I need you to listen to me," Wasabi pinched the bridge of his nose; sleep deprivation overpowering him as he searched his brain for words to say. "You can't build robots for people you just met. It's not exactly norm—"

"I even have a list of the things she likes," Tadashi cut him off, raising a paper he just pulled from his back pocket in front of Wasabi's face with a smug grin. "I know a few things about her, Wasabi." The rectangular object was clipped in between his fingers and he held it with reverence as if it was the most brilliant thing he had ever made.

"Excuse me?"

"I have an Elsa list. A list of things she likes."

"Tadashi…."

"Here, go on. Read it." An exhausted grunt can be heard from Tadashi's side. Wasabi extended his palm noncommittally and caved in. "Fine. Let's see this magical list of yours, lover boy," he deadpanned.

Tadashi handed it to him, and Wasabi unfolded the ink-stained and creased piece of paper, his head throbbing a little when his eyes were ambushed by Tadashi's sloppy handwriting. It was almost impossible to read what was written on it, but working with Tadashi meant familiarizing himself with the other inventor's quirks and eccentricity. He wished his friend typed up his list instead of attempting to write it down. But he continued to read on, scrutinizing the tiny paper and ignoring the poorly drawn heart next to Elsa's name:

_Elsa Arendelle List:_

_1. She likes chocolates. Her face lit up like a light bulb when I offered her a Toblerone.  
><em>_2. I think she ice skates…saw a pair of ice skates hanging from her back a while ago while she was heading to her car.  
>3. She tutors Fred in Geometry and Physics. I mean, yeah. She's the one who does the coding for our project so she HAS to be a math genius. Get with the program, Hamada.<br>4. She's left-handed. Too bad we don't have left handed scissors back in the lab and she always seems to struggle whenever she tries to cut something…I should probably get her one. Or make her one.  
>5. Blue. Most of her stuff is blue. Favorite color? 6. She speaks French, Norwegian, Swedish, and Mandarin fluently. Currently learning Japanese. Maybe I should offer to tutor her? Not that she needs it because she's so smart…but still…<em>

Wasabi blinked before tilting his head up to meet an eager and excited Tadashi.

"So whaddaya think?" Tadashi's look mimicked a kid showing his dad a report card filled with outstanding grades. He was tapping his knuckles together, a hopeful grin plastered across his handsome face.

"Bro, don't you think this is a little bit too much? What if she just gets freaked out?" Wasabi said in a soft, uncondescending tone. He fiddled with the paper in his hand and he glanced down at it and caught a glimpse of the little heart next to Elsa's name. _Arendelle really got him sprung._

"I know, I know," Tadashi waved his hands in surrender, his grin faltering slowly. "But I saw how she is with the robots—with Baymax. It seems like she spent time interacting with robots more than humans." He jammed his hands into his pockets and shrugged, saddened by his own observation and train of thoughts. "You're right, she's not necessarily outgoing and cheerful like GoGo and Honey and Fred—but she's just different. A good kind of different." Wasabi noticed him placing his hand behind his neck again: a gesture he was all too familiar with whenever Tadashi was deep in thought or apprehensive. Or both.

"But what's the deal? Why all this effort?" Wasabi probed gently, his arms crossing in front of his chest while he leaned his back against the wall. Nothing could have prepared him for what his best friend was about to say next.

The corner of Tadashi's lips twitched and big brown eyes met Wasabi's curious gaze. He couldn't find a more cogent stream of words to say to explain his thoughts. He, too, was a science guy. He was trained to choose facts over fiction. Facts over feelings. Mind over heart. He knew from day one that Elsa Arendelle preferred to be by herself, to be left alone. He knew she only humored him whenever he would try to talk to her with replies so polite and never short of practical.

She wasn't fond of chitchats. She wasn't fond of company. And here he was anyway—building her a damn robot just to be closer to her somehow. Just to make her laugh even for a split second. He inhaled slowly before releasing a breath that was laced with a week's worth of frustration—a whole week of denying the inevitable.

The science guy, the leader of the nerd squad, was reduced to a puppy-eyed school boy who didn't stand a chance against an attractive and equally nerdy school girl—a nerdy school girl who entranced him and made him forget how to spell his own name with just one glance.

He waited for his heart to slow its rapid pace before opening his mouth. "I'm falling in love with her," Tadashi confessed with clarity as clear as the skies and the stars twinkling outside the window of his lab—his secret place where his ideas and dreams came to life, concocted by the magic flowing from his dexterous hands—the very same hands that wished and yearned to hold those belonging to an enigmatic and blue-eyed goddess disguised as a college student.

"I'm falling in love with Elsa," he repeated not because he thought Wasabi did not hear him the first time he said it, but because he liked the way Elsa's name rolled out of his tongue and into space, imagining his confession could somehow float away like the molecules in the air and make their way to Elsa's ears while she slept soundly in her bed.

"_In love?_" Wasabi screeched incredulously, his voice going an octave higher. "Tadashi, I know you've spent some time with her because you literally begged Callaghan to make her your lab partner without her knowledge—and this list—stalker-ish and borderline creepy, but I won't judge—but _in love_? Don't you think that's a little bit too fast?" he spluttered, unable to contain himself.

Tadashi hummed his reply, his index finger touching the middle of his minibot's chest, a little bit farther to the left where the activation button was screwed in. Brown eyes were placid and glossed over—focused on something that Wasabi could not see. He brows met halfway and he raised his head up to meet equally brown eyes filled with concern.

A faint smile slowly crept up on the corners of his mouth. "Wasabi, I love her. I just know I do. Call it crazy, call it naive…but I love her and I always want to make her smile," he chuckled as a fresh paint of red tainted his cheeks.

"I know it's weird and you're right—I barely know her. But she's important to me and I really want her to know that she's special." The undertone of seriousness in his voice caused Wasabi to soften as he registered Tadashi's sincerity. He sighed and took a few steps to Tadashi's workstation, cracking his knuckles before placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and putting his beloved list next to the minibot.

With every bit of energy he had left in his body, Wasabi grabbed the drill that was laying limply next to Tadashi's minibot and proceeded to zero in on his friend's equally tired face with a newfound look of determination.

"I just want you to know that you owe me breakfast. You ready to finish this thing?"

* * *

><p>The library was spacious and deprived of the usual students who usually stayed afterhours to study for their finals the last minute. Aside from the librarian and the muffled prattling of a few students on the other side of the room, Elsa sat alone in her usual spot in the corner of the Architecture section as she pored over her Advanced Geometry book with intense blue eyes absorbing the contents of the page in deep concentration. Every now and then, she would peel her eyes from the book to jot down a few notes on her notebook, her handwriting rivaling a computer font—graceful, regal, neat and cursive. She scribbled purposely, the tip of her tongue sticking out as dark brown brows mashed together.<p>

Tadashi stood by the far-end side, arms crossed in front of him, grinning adoringly towards Elsa's direction when he saw her scrunch up her nose and press her finger against the middle of her glasses to put it back in place as it started to slide down a little. There she was, her platinum blonde bangs framing the sides of her angelic face, looking effortlessly gorgeous in rare, casual attire.

Today, she wasn't wearing her usual ironed long-sleeved shirt and knee-length skirt. Elsa was wearing a green, oversized sports hoodie with an image of a triathlon bike in front of it and the name **"ANNA"** written on the back across her scapulae. A pair of blue jeans traced her perfectly toned shins and her slender form, making Tadashi blush and snap his gaze back to her face. He didn't realize his eyes were wandering. Elsa Arendelle was a sight to behold and he couldn't help but admire the masterpiece in front of him.

She was now biting her lower lip, slight frustration creasing her forehead. Tadashi gulped and bit his tongue, his heart hammering against his chest and his toes tingled and curled inside his sneakers.

_So. Beautiful._

He sighed dreamily and felt powerless against the petite blonde who was sitting quietly and far away from him. Tadashi forced himself to look away and train his eyes on the little minibot standing next to him. He bent down and pressed the activation button sealed on its chest. The little machine whirred to life and laser blue eyes blinked as they tried to focus themselves on its surroundings. The first thing it saw was Tadashi's face looking directly at it.

"_Hello, Tadashi. My name is Max. What can I do for you today?" _The robot's voice was flat like those of other robots, but not hyper monotonous and void of emotion. There was a soothing touch to it; soft and serene like the pouring of rain on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Tadashi tried really, _really_ hard not to scream and dance with joy. _It worked, it worked, it worked!_

Max blinked against his glass-framed helmet, waiting for Tadashi's reply. The little robot resembled Baymax, but was made out of leftover scraps and recycled metal—and was ten times smaller. Wasabi and Tadashi tried to cover up its little flaws here and there with paint, and they have succeeded in making him look brand new. Or so they thought. He looked perfect to Tadashi nonetheless.

Tadashi glanced at Elsa and then at Max. "Okay, buddy. Do you remember Elsa and what you're supposed to do?"

Max wobbled a few steps forward and detected Elsa sitting approximately fifty-five feet away from him.

"_Commencing scan—Elsa Arendelle. Twenty years old. Height: 5'7. Eye color: blue. Weight: 125 lbs. Known allergies: allergens such as dust and pollen. IQ Score: 180. Current GPA: 4.0. Current place of residence: San Fransokyo Institute Of Technology Tower of Stark, Room 8. Current health status: suffering from mild_ _nasopharyngitis and insomnia. _"That's great, Max, but do you know what you're here for?" Tadashi cut him off impatiently, ready to get on to the crucial part of his mission. He already knew all of those details about her anyway—except for the dust allergy part. _So she does have a thing about dirt and maybe that's how she got that cold because she's been exposed to a lot of it lately since we started putting Baymax' parts together_, he thought. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him as he conspiringly conversed with a tiny robot.

Max rotated his form to face him and simply said: "I am here to make Elsa smile."

"Good," he said while nodding his head in approval. "Now, keep your voice low and make sure you only come up to her when you're sure that she's about to leave, okay? She's studying right now and it's not best to disturb her." Tadashi pressed his palms against his knees and raised himself up in a standing position. He hoisted his backpack across his shoulder and was readying himself to leave when he caught a glimpse of Elsa: elbows propped on the table and face covered with her hands. Tadashi frowned, jutting his lips and wondering what was wrong with her and if she was okay. _She must be exhausted. _He then lifted his eyes to the adjacent clock hanging by the wall and realized he had five minutes left before his lecture.

He took one last look at Elsa and forced himself to leave the library.

"Max, I want a full report later today," he instructed his new friend. "I know you'll be great and I'm so proud of you." An encouraging smile emerged from his face as his eyes rested on Max, disqualifying the fact that he was talking to a nonhuman entity. Max looked up at him and Tadashi swore the minibot smiled, too, against the hooded helmet covering its face. "Yes, Tadashi. I will do my best to make sure Elsa is satisfied with her care."

* * *

><p><em>It's 7:30PM. I think I should go eat…I haven't had lunch yet. I wonder if the cafeteria's empty by now? I really don't wanna go if there's a lot of people there…<em>

Elsa nibbled her thumb while she stared at her iPhone, contemplating whether she should take a minibreak from her studies. Before she can protest against her body's needs and continue solving the next practice question on her textbook, a thunderous sound coming from her stomach interrupted her stupor and she felt the effects of hunger taking over her with in a vengeance. _Okay, minibreak it is. It'll only take a few minutes._

She sighed and rubbed her temples before gathering her books to put them inside her bag. Unaware of the soft wobbling concealed by the carpeted floor, Elsa checked her phone again to text her Uncle Kai to inquire about her sister and if she had eaten lunch already. There was an eight-hour time difference between Arindal and San Fransokyo, and Elsa wanted to make sure her sister was not neglecting her meals—like she was.

_I wonder if she's eating chocolates more than necessary. She really needs to cut down on her sugar intake. _Elsa frowned at the thought. _Maybe I should call Aunt Gerda, too, and ask her to set-up a dental appointment for Anna? But Anna can do that for herself if she wishes to. I wonder if she's okay? I miss her so much. I wonder if—_

"Hello, Elsa. I am Max. Your personal, healthcare companion."

Elsa jumped in her seat and let out a small squeak, the phone in her hand dropped on the table and made a soft thudding noise against the wood. She scrambled out of the chair, clutching at her chest as startled blue eyes darted back and forth around the room trying to identify the source of the sudden, invasive interruption.

"Hello, Elsa. I am right here." Max blinked beady, laser-like eyes and stared at the taller figure in front of him. Elsa took a step back, lowering her head ever so slowly and realizing she was greeted unannounced by—a robot. Her mouth gaped open, but words failed to come out. Bright blue eyes widened with surprise, registering the image of the mysterious machine in front of them.

"W-who are you? Who sent you?" she said in a sharp whisper, eyes roving around the room and back at Max, looking for the person trying to control it. But the only person left in the library was her and the librarian who was sitting far away from her, quietly reading today's paper while eating a donut. The other students had left, much to Elsa's relief.

"I am Max. Your personal, healthcare companion," he repeated. "I will now scan you."

Elsa flailed her arms uselessly in protest, eyebrows shooting up to her hairline and blue eyes widening like saucers once again. "Wait what? No, wait—"

"Elsa Arendelle," Max started and Elsa froze in place, crouching defensively, hands hovering against the red beam of light generated by Max' retinal scanner. "Your nutritional levels are very low, Elsa. You have not been eating well. The side effects of hunger are: dizziness, nausea, constantly feeling cold, weakness of muscles. Would you like me to fetch you a sandwich to remedy your hunger?" Max tilted his head to the side, studying his patient. Elsa blinked furiously.

She took in a sharp intake of breath before relaxing her body. Her heart steadied its pace and she straightened her back, arms tightening around her sides. _Relax, it's just a robot._

"Max, I want to know who sent you," she said cautiously, hands now clutching together. "Who sent you here and what for?"

"That information is not of relevance, Elsa. My maker sent me here on a mission. And that is to make you _smile_." Max demonstrated what a smile meant by showcasing images of random people grinning from ear to ear from the screen on his chest. Elsa quirked a fascinated brow, impressed by the minibot's intelligence. She fiddled with the tip of her braid, wondering if Max was a roaming prototype Callaghan had running around campus to check on his students.

_Max' mission is to "make me smile." What. I don't think Callaghan will waste his time building something like this specifically for me…and what for? Wait. Max. As in BAYmax?!_

It was Elsa's turn to scan her new companion. A lightbulb went off and Elsa realized this was all Tadashi's doing. She felt quite foolish for not realizing this all before—Tadashi wanted to test their software and he sent Max to show her the progress they've been making.

_But we work on Baymax together three times a week. Did he just build this out of scratch? And—to make me smile?…_

She didn't give it much thought. She refused to give it any thought. Elsa sighed exasperatedly and bent down to Max' eye level.

_What the heck. This is San Fransokyo Institute Of Technology. Of course this is a normal thing—robots roaming around. And Tadashi's my project partner after all. I guess I'll ask it to get me a sandwich. It'll save me the trip._

Elsa coughed into her fist in an attempt to clear her throat. "So, Max. What else can you do?"

Max' body screen roared to life and Elsa's iPod playlist floated against the liquid crystal display thin panel. Elsa gasped, growing more and more amazed by Tadashi's handiwork. She wondered if it was able to capture her iPod's contents while he scanned her since it was on the table next to her. Did Tadashi upgrade this all on his own? She shook her head and saved the overanalyzing for later.

"I have a list of all your favorite songs in my program. I will gladly play them for you to help you relax. But you must plug your earphones into this socket in my helmet because we are in the library and I do not want to disturb the other patients—primarily the librarian. My research states that music is therapeutic and can be used to help you smile."

Her lips curled into a barely-there grin. "What makes you think I need to smile, Max?"

Max paused before changing the images on his screen. Flashing before Elsa's eyes were her own body chart showcasing her electrolytes intake, vitamin sufficiency and insufficiency, and current blood content percentage.

"According to my observations, you are currently taking 40 mg Citalopram per 24-hours due to low serotonin levels. Recent medical research states that serotonin imbalance leads to depression, anxiety, and panic. If there is also shortage in tryptophan, the chemical from which serotonin is produced from, you will still likely experience these side effects. I believe that you are experiencing them now and I am here to help you."

Elsa was speechless. Her heart raced and her nerves started to spike as she heard all these things she has not disclosed with anyone in San Fransokyo besides the new therapist she's been seeing a town away from campus. Apart from complete shock, Max undeniably engrossed her—-although she will have to later on hack his system to erase that bit about her medical history. She held her breath before exhaling in a slow, steady manner through her nose.

_Calm down._ _You can decode him. Remember, he and Baymax have the same database. You basically created Baymax, too. Just play along with Tadashi. He's worked really hard on this…for whatever purpose. Tadashi what on earth are you up to?_

Elsa's lips pressed into a thin line, her hunger had vanished and was replaced by a gnawing emptiness that cannot be satisfied by food consumption. But she had to put on a show.

"Okay, Max," she started, "I'll just finish my homework and we can go downstairs and get food. Deal?" A tentative smile—one that doesn't reach her eyes—curved her lips. The images on Max' chest slowly dissolved and the screen went blank. Elsa took this as a sign that he had understood her command, so she turned around and rummaged through her backpack for—oh, for something. _Anything._

There was a shared silence between the two; Elsa proceeded to finalize her notes, her left-hand scribbling away complex equations furiously. There was no point of pretending she can focus on studying when her mind was overwhelmed by the mysterious robot standing beside her. Max quietly regarded her and observed her work station. The laptop sitting idly on Elsa's right side grabbed Max' attention and he wheeled himself towards it to take a better look. He zeroed in on Elsa's wallpaper and discovered a way to complete his objective.

"Elsa Arendelle is smiling," he stated quietly, transfixed on the image of Elsa grinning from ear to ear. Her eyes danced with delight, focused on the redheaded girl standing next to her whose mouth was wide open in obvious laughter.

"What's that Max?" Elsa murmured absentmindedly, her eyes poring over the worksheet in front of her. She did not pause to ask Max again and continued to write instead. The faster she wrote, the faster she can get out of the library and lead Max back to Tadashi. Without any warning, Max roared back to life and a soft beeping sound echoed through their small corner. The screen on Max' chest uploaded new information, and Elsa whirled around, startled and slack-jawed.

"Max, what are you doing?" Elsa asked in an even voice, unaware of her fingers digging through her palm. When the robot didn't answer, she followed its gaze and slowly unclenched her fist.

"_Elsa Arendelle is smiling. Locate source: Four feet and twelve inches from patient's proximity. Target found. Specifications: photographic image, 1024x768 pixels. Perform retinal scan on target: Anna Arendelle. Eighteen years old. Height: 5'5. Eye color: blue-green. Weight: 127 lbs. Known allergies: none. IQ score: 175. Current GPA: 3.75. Current place of residence: Arindal, Norway. Current health status: unknown."_

She felt her heart twist behind her rib cage. "That's my sister, Anna," she said while glancing out of the corner of her eye, suddenly growing a bit nervous by Max' discovery. "She's…not here. And—we took this picture a long time ago." She cast her eyes over the image and a faint lop-sided grin graced her downcast face.

"Analysis: lack of laughter. Recommended treatment: Anna Arendelle. I will find Anna Arendelle. Searching database—Anna Arendelle. North Mountain University. Phone number: (113) 214-30—"

"M-max? _What are you doing?_" Elsa stammered, unable to control her voice and the shaking of her hands. She clutched at her chest and stared at Max in horror, her already pale face draining itself of blood. Frantic blue eyes searched the room for any signs life and possible witnesses, but the only one present was the librarian who was fast asleep and snoring under the newspaper over his head.

"I am trying to call Anna Arendelle."

Elsa could've sworn she felt her heart lurch to her throat. Her breathing quickened its pace in an erratic pattern and she felt beads of cold sweat dot her forehead and the back of her neck. Dread started to pool in her stomach as she gripped the edge of the table, her mouth open with a blank protest.

"—dialing: (113) 214-30"

"_I AM SATISFIED WITH MY CARE." _Elsa blurted in a shrill voice as piercing as a jagged knife. Thought her intent was to sound firm, she couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice.

But she was not satisfied with her care ––no, not at all.

"If you say so, Elsa," said Max as his eyes started to dim in surrender. His orders were clear: if Elsa is satisfied with her care and declares it, he has no choice but to deactivate.

Elsa watched the robot shut down completely before realizing she had stopped breathing. A puff of suppressed air escaped her mouth and she jerked her head to the librarian's direction: the man was still snoring and oblivious of what just happened. Elsa dragged her hands down her face, feeling even more exhausted and drained. With a blank expression, she stared at Max and turned her head to her laptop.

Glossy blues scrutinized the picture: the only evidence that she actually knew how to smile and even laugh. She blinked and grew confused by the sudden dampness staining her cheeks. Elsa touched her face and felt something wet against her skin.

Tears she didn't know she had streaming down her face grazed her fingertips. She shut her eyes in resignation before folding her arms on top of her desk and rested her weary head over them.

_I miss Anna._

* * *

><p>"Okay, what about <em>Wonderwall<em>?"

"Ugh, boring. That's so cliché, Wasabi. Play something else!"

"Can you play that first song in the _Avengers _soundtrack? Epic superhero entrance!" "That's a movie score, Fred. Instrumentals. Tadashi, I'm so proud of you! Guys, let him play what he wants! And can we let him finish this time?"

The exuberant chattering of Tadashi and his friends filled the robotics lab as they gathered around him to watch him play his guitar. They were sitting in a circle on the east side of the room apart from their workstations, relieved for the three-hour break bestowed on them by their professor who cancelled class due to a chemical explosion in his private laboratory at home. It was sunny and warm outside, but the group decided to stay indoors and lounge in the confines of their beloved laboratory. They had been working hard all week due to midterms and convinced each other that they needed a break. Tadashi brought his guitar with him to campus, Aunt Cass' and Hiro's Christmas present for him from the previous year, and served as a private performer for his friends who wouldn't even let him finish a song because they were so busy clapping and screaming song titles for him to play instead of actually letting him sing.

"Guys, guys, Honey's right. Can I finish one song? Just one?" Tadashi raised his hands in a placating manner, careful not to let the guitar topple over. "There's this song I learned yesterday and I really want you all to hear it."

GoGo rolled her eyes at him before taking another swig from her soda can. "Fine, after that song, can you play something from _Arcade Fire_?

Tadashi grinned and bowed his head a little. "I'll try my very best," he promised while placing a hand over his heart. "But first, I— "

"Ooh! Can you play 'Defying Gravity' after GoGo's song?" Honey Lemon chirped. "I really love that song! Guys! We should go to New York and watch the Broadway show, yeah?"

Wasabi shook his head and sighed. "Alright, kids. Let the man do his thing and you can bombard him with requests later." He nodded at Tadashi, prompting him to begin. Tadashi shot him a grateful smile and positioned his fingers over the strings, ready to strum the notes to his song.

"Before I begin," he started in a low voice, his expression suddenly serious, "I just want you guys to know that I normally don't listen to songs like this—Wasabi can back me up on that—but this is a very special song and it's really catchy." A shade of pink bloomed from Tadashi's cheeks and he ducked his head down, trying to conceal his face as he closed his eyes.

Tadashi's voice, a rich and low baritone, flowed like a soothing river across the room and into his friend's ears. His audience can only watch him admiringly while he hit each note effortlessly, the tapping of his foot synchronizing with his strumming. He flicked each string gently with expert fingers while he sang the words to the song with conviction, eyes closed and imagining a certain blonde smiling at him, his head swaying from side to side.

_Sweet pea, apple of my eye  
><em>_Don't know when and I don't know why  
>You're the only reason I keep on coming home<br>Sweet pea, what's all this about?  
>Don't get your way all you do is fuss and pout<br>You're the only reason I keep on coming home_

_Unlike the Rock of Gibraltar,  
>I always seem to falter<br>And the words just get in the way  
>Oh, I know I'm gonna crumble I<br>'m trying to stay humble  
>But I never think before I say—<em>

But before he can continue with the remaining stanza of the song, the door to the lab creaked open and he froze in place, eyes snapping to the door. Fred, Wasabi, GoGo, and Honey Lemon turned their heads and followed Tadashi's trail.

Elsa Arendelle stood by the entrance with a limp and lifeless Max in her arms.

GoGo stared at Honey and then back at Tadashi. Wasabi stared at Fred and then at Elsa. Fred rubbed his hands excitedly. Five pairs of eyes locked their gaze on the man with the guitar—including an expressionless set of blues. Tadashi's mouth suddenly felt dry and the lump in his throat bobbed up and down. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. All he could manage to do was grin sheepishly and wave at Elsa. Elsa stood rigid and motionless, her expression unreadable. Her eyes bore into his, making Tadashi squirm in his seat, his grip tightening around the neck of the guitar.

The atmosphere in the room was awfully heavy and awkward, and the circle they formed slowly disintegrated as they stood up from their sitting position to make way for Elsa. It was like seeing the Red Sea part: with Elsa being that brooding and lethal force whose cold stare sent shivers down Tadashi's spine. Even GoGo knew better than to make witty and sarcastic comments to lighten the situation. The silence was painfully deafening.

Seconds seemed like hours, and the sound of GoGo popping her gum served as a distraction—and an escape. It was she who started first by excusing herself as the rest followed her lead.

"—Tadashi, I have to go—"

"—I haven't done laundry in three months, I think I'm gonna start today— "

"—Hi Elsa! Bye Elsa! Uhm—I have to get ready for tomorrow's—meeting thing—"

Wasabi had a hand over his eyes; his head shaking as if he knew this was going to happen. He sighed and placed a sympathetic hand over Tadashi's shoulder. "Good luck man," he whispered. He followed the rest of the crew and gave Elsa a half-smile before shouldering past her. Elsa acknowledged him by giving him a small nod and proceeded to turn her attention back to Tadashi.

"Unbelievable," Tadashi mumbled in disgust while he helplessly watched his friends walk out, unscathed. He bit the inside of his cheeks and ran a hand through his hair.

"So uh—you met Max!" Tadashi croaked. He felt a surge of heat travel from the back of his neck to the tip of tears. Elsa tilted her head curiously and studied him. She hasn't said a word since she showed up inside the lab.

"That I did," she said flatly, walking past him and positioning Max on top of a table. Tadashi flinched when he heard the echo of metal clinking against each other. For a second, he thought Elsa was going to hit him in the head when he strode toward him without so much as a sound.

_Okay, she's pissed. She's really pissed. _Tadashi rubbed his hands over his jeans nervously, pushing the disconcerting thoughts far and away to the back of his head. Elsa turned around to face him, her arms folded petulantly over her chest. Tadashi's pupils dilated and he had to bite his tongue from saying, _wow_. An immaculate pout jutted Elsa's soft and full lips, and the freckles peppered across her nose were visible against the film of sun ray shrouding her face from the window next to her. She was so enchanting and Tadashi, for a moment, wanted to touch her face and kiss those—

"It's very impressive," she exclaimed pragmatically, nudging Tadashi away from his train of thoughts. "I just want to know _why_ you did it."

Tadashi inhaled, his breath reaching the very bottom of his lungs. _Breathe. Just…tell her the truth. _He calmly grabbed the nearest chair and sat down, his blush growing darker by the minute. Elsa stood in front of him, blue eyes hardened, waiting for an answer.

"I just—I just want you to know that I care, okay? It's just that, we barely talk. When we do, it's all about Baymax. I want to be more than that," his eyes widened at his choice of words and backtracked immediately.

"What I mean is, I want to be your _friend_, too. Not just your lab partner. And it seems like you don't like talking to me, so I made you a robot…someone that will keep you company somehow." Tadashi did a quick side glance and saw Max' still and lifeless form. Still and lifeless, like his hopes of being more than just a classmate to Elsa Arendelle.

Elsa blinked back in confusion. _What did he just say? He cares? He cares for me? Why me? _ It was Elsa's turn to blush now.

"So you mean to tell me, you built a robot in hopes of being my friend?" she asked in a soft and feather-like voice, struggling hard to keep that undeterred effect in her tone but already failing miserably. A slight frown wrinkled her features, and she clutched the sleeve of her sweater protectively.

Tadashi chuckled ruefully. "Why not? I think you're a great person, Elsa. I know it's a bit too much and I didn't really think things through and there's this thing called privacy but—it was worth a shot," he trailed off, feeling a little bit more pathetic. Tadashi hung his head low and sighed dejectedly, finally admitting defeat.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," he lamented. "It was such a jerk thing to do and I didn't mean to freak you out. I just know that you miss your home a lot…and I just wanted you to know that you can have a home here, too." Tadashi tried for a small grin and Elsa felt something crumble within her. She wasn't sure if it was her heart or the walls she had tried desperately to build to protect her from vulnerability.

Vulnerability caused by Tadashi's kind words and the way her heart would skip a beat whenever he smiled at her.

_He's trying to be my friend. He's trying to tell me he…cares for me. He wants me around. _

Though it seemed impossible and impractical, Elsa found herself bubbling with excitement at the prospect of actually having a _friend_. She had one friend, her sister Anna, and she had to abandon her for her own safety. But it was different in San Fransokyo. She didn't have to _love _Tadashi. It didn't have to be hard. It didn't need to be complicated.

Yes, she wanted a friend. She didn't deserve one, but it couldn't hurt to try just this once, right?

Tadashi was too busy wallowing in his pity party to notice Elsa walking a few steps away from him. His head was dipped low and he was staring at the ground, unable to look at her. _This is a train wreck. This is embarrassing. I should've listened to Wasabi. I should've just left her alone. I'm not just compromising our robotics project, but she probably despises me for going out of bounds. This is—_

"Tadashi, what was that song you were playing before?"

Tadashi slowly raised his head and his eyes flickered between Elsa and the guitar in her hands. "W-what?"

Elsa extended the guitar to him, a bare grin softening her face. "Will you play it for me?"

He stared at her in surprise, his mouth moving uselessly and showing incompetence in his failure to form words. He tried again, attempting to sound calm and collected.

"Sure."

A trembling hand reached for the guitar and Tadashi tuned the knobs clumsily. Elsa's face reddened when her fingers brushed against Tadashi's hand, and Tadashi tried to play it off by not reacting and through feigned nonchalance. But he felt it and he knows she felt it, too. There was something _there. _He didn't want to push it. The girl he has fallen in love with just asked him to play a song—a song that he was playing for her long before she knew it. He knew she needed some space. He knew she needed time and that's exactly what he wanted to give her. His heart could've soared with happiness, but he glanced at Elsa and was met by kind blue eyes that yearned for a friend.

He broke through her barriers—just a little bit—but he felt something crack.

Tadashi smiled at her before strumming his guitar, his quiet but melodious voice drowning the air and closing the chasm between them.

_Sweet pea, keeper of my soul  
><em>_I know sometimes I'm out of control  
>You're the only reason I keep on coming—<br>You're the only reason I keep on coming—  
>You're the only reason I keep on coming home<em>

When Tadashi finished his song, he looked up and their eyes met. Time had somehow slowed down and eternity seemed to have taken ground in that small laboratory. Elsa's pulse quickened and a hand crept up to her chest where her heart pounded restlessly. Her lips were slightly parted, confounded and somewhat awestruck by Tadashi's performance.

Her flawed plan resounded in her head, mocking her: _She didn't have to__** love**__ Tadashi. It didn't have to be hard. It didn't need to be complicated._

Maybe.

_Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show._


	5. Married Life

**A/N:** I was listening to Andrew Allen's upbeat song, "Loving You Tonight" and this little drabble came up. Blah. And then I thought of Ellie and Carl from "Up." I don't own Big Hero 6 or Frozen.

I've been writing a lot of heavy stuff lately, so here's a short one that isn't so angst-y. Enjoy.

I like the "Elsa revealing her powers to Tadashi" prompt. I think I'll work on that next. :)

* * *

><p>"Tadashiiiiiiiii!" Elsa's voice filled the house as she called for her husband who was diligently working on his new project in a room right below where she was standing. It was out of character for Elsa to raise her voice and let alone summon Tadashi when she knew he was busy, but there was something different about her tone that made the inventor quirk a brow and look up, wondering what his other half was up to.<p>

"Baby, what is it?" Tadashi called back while his hands expertly screwed a piece of metal on a half-done robot. "Do you need me to come up there? Did Anna finally call?" he asked distractedly while turning his gaze back down to his current objective.

"No, Anna's still shopping with Kristoff. And yes, I need you to come up here and—-stay calm and not pass out, okay? Baymax is with Hiro today, and I can't carry you," Elsa replied with a giggle. "Can you come meet me in the bathroom?" Elsa's light footsteps padded against the wood in a semi-sprint. Curious brown eyes looked up and followed the echoing trail of Elsa's feet against the ceiling, causing Tadashi's lips to split apart in a mischievous grin. He liked these little interruptions.

"I love where this is going," he muttered to himself conspiringly as naughty images of his wife flashed through his mind. He twisted his wedding band with his other hand, not believing his luck. He married the most beautiful woman on the planet and she was upstairs waiting for him. "Drop dead gorgeous wife. Bathroom. No clothes. I'm calm. I'm totally calm." Oh, the possibilities. He took his glasses off and stood up from his desk, rubbing his hands together excitedly. He suddenly felt bold and decided to take his shirt off the last minute. If Elsa wanted to be coy, he can definitely play along. But he wanted to win and be on top of the game. Or her.

"Darling, are you on your way?" Elsa inquired in a melodious, sing-song voice that almost made Tadashi sprint to the bathroom like a deranged marathon runner desperate for water. But he strategically chose (calmly) to take his time and let the excitement build up. He took quick but steady steps towards their room and gently opened the door. Elsa was inside the bathroom and Tadashi's pulse quickened with anticipation and want as he opened the last remaining door that was blocking him from the only source of his satisfaction.

His sexy-time smoulder was quickly replaced by a confused and slightly disappointed look when he was met by a fully-clothed Elsa.

"Er, babe?" Tadashi asked while scratching his head, brows furrowed in bewilderment. "What's…up?"

Elsa blinked and pointed out the obvious. "Uhm. How come you're not wearing your shirt?"

"How come _you_ are?" Tadashi asked with a hand on his hip, growing even more confused.

Elsa blinked again. But realization dawned on her when she figured out what was happening. Her cheeks burned bright red and a hand shot up to her mouth. "Babe, I'm so sorry—but I didn't call you for _that_," she said while shaking her head, causing her bangs to bounce with her and fall on the sides of her face. She was unable to keep herself from laughing over the glorious misunderstanding. Tadashi can only stare at her in feigned accusation, his face reddening, too. He tried his best not to laugh along with her.

He huffed indignantly. "And here I am thinking we're about to do something…interesting." He crossed his arms against his chest, his broad shoulders quickly distracting and disarming Elsa.

Even when Tadashi was a few steps away from her, she was still able to see an imprint of her teeth on his skin just a few inches from his collar bone. Her scratch marks from the previous night were still blistering red across his chest in haphazard patterns. Haphazard but deep.

Blue eyes with dilated pupils flickered back and forth to those shoulders once more. Damn it, how she loved how strong and supportive they were especially when her legs wrapped around his neck as he—-

"Baby, you're zoning off," Tadashi said flatly, distracting Elsa from her beautiful trance. "What's up?"

"Oh! I'm sorry," Elsa immediately shook her head off those…thoughts. Thoughts that she will later on transform to actions. But later, not right now. "I wanna show you something," she squealed, pulling her stare away from her husband's immaculate body and back to his face, her hands clasping in front of her. "You ready?"

"Are you gonna take off your clothes now and show me your new lingerie?"

Tempting, she thought. But not yet.

"Tadashi…"

"Okay, okay," he raised his hands in a placating manner, grinning deviously for making the blonde blush. "Show me."

Elsa bit her lower lip and happy noises escaped her mouth. Her eyes lit up like hundred-watt lightbulbs and she hopped up and down like a little kid on Christmas morning. She then proceeded to pull out three white plastic sticks from her bathrobe pocket with two red lines drawn on each of them.

Positive, positive, and positive.

"Tadashi, do you wanna build a crib?"


	6. Illuminate

**A/N:** This is my continuation/own take of user: **junemermaid03**'s "Chapter 04: Don't Look Back"—go read that and follow her because she writes awesome stories and she's a fellow Tadelsa/Elsashi shipper! We basically give each other prompts and we write off from them. :)

**Quick summary:** From JN03's post, she wrote about Elsa and Tadashi being locked in the lab when as electrical malfunction happened. Black out, no phone service, all that jazz. So basically, she and Tadashi had a moment of private time, and Elsa was just really fidgety and uneasy because of so many factors (she has her powers here) and the last person she wanted to be trapped inside with in a confined place was Tadashi. Anyway, she does confess does she has a problem with anxiety and this is what takes place after.

**Fast forward:** If you're wondering why Tadashi brought her food (shawarma!), it's because he asked her to have dinner with him before the black out happened. But after all was fixed and after Elsa's confession, it was cancelled because Elsa didn't want to go anymore and chose to go home instead.

Tadashi was restless and impulse took over him. So here's where my story comes to play. Enjoy. :)

Remember, these are **one shots**. Anything goes out of my own whimsicality. This story is pre-Elsa/Tadashi dating. I'm exploring their characters and my feels. *sob.

* * *

><p>The stars that hung quietly in the endless and vast galaxy outside his window did little to nothing to ease his apprehension. It was only ten-thirty in the evening, and Tadashi paced back and forth, restlessness latching onto him like a parasite that simply won't let go. Brown eyes turned their gaze on Hiro, whose back faced Tadashi while he dozed off quietly on the opposite side of the room. His little brother spent the afternoon helping Aunt Cass clean the shop while he was away in school working with Elsa on their coding project. Hiro was exhausted and had woken up a few times begging Tadashi to 'shut up and let me sleep' and to 'just freaking go to Elsa's house if you want to talk to her so badly.' The younger brother had to endure hearing Tadashi grumbling and talking to himself, a cloud of self-deprecation and frustrated mumbling filling the room.<p>

_I never should've left her by herself. Sure, she said she's tired—but the way she looked at me—it seems like she didn't want to me go. Wait, maybe I'm just overthinking._

_I AM out of my league here. She's so smart, so beautiful—I mean if it can't be more, I'll just try to be her friend. And as a friend, I feel like I failed her tonight._

I really hope she had dinner already. Does she even have food in that apartment? I barely see her eat in school. I need to bring her those donuts tomorrow. And coffee.

Tadashi rubbed his eyes and ran his hands down his face. He was not the type to fret and let worry linger more than necessary. He was Mr. Positivity, always the one erupting with enthusiasm and buoyancy. But tonight, after Elsa's confession, things have shifted. No, he did not think less of Elsa—with her anxiety and all—in fact, he understood her even more now. More than ever.

The way she shied away from large crowds and one-on-one conversations. The way she would fidget and squirm in her seat uncomfortably whenever Callaghan would call on her to answer a question she did not raise her hand for—yet indulging him with brilliant replies with an almost inaudible, feather-light voice. The way she would leave class immediately the moment it was declared dismissed as if to avoid being approached.

Tadashi thought she was simply avoiding _him_, but it was more than that. He felt a bit foolish for his assumptions.

_Why would she avoid me? Damn it, Hamada. She probably just doesn't want anyone to find out what she's going through. She's probably just really, really private—and shy, and soft-spoken and finds it hard to be around people because of her anxiety and she's—_

…_probably really lonely, too._

He turned his head back to his brother again and Hiro's irate voice echoed in his ears:

"…_just freaking go to Elsa's house if you want to talk to her so badly!" _But should he? Will she let him in?

_Oh, well. I guess I'll find out, won't I?_

Tadashi grabbed his baseball hat from his desk and donned the sweater that lay limply on his bed. The perks of being a twenty-one-year old that he liked most was his lack of curfew. Though Aunt Cass was overprotective of him and Hiro, she trusted Tadashi to make sound decisions and to always follow his heart if it led him to do the right thing. Sure, that was easy. Tadashi wasn't the trouble-making type, and he refrained from getting into situations that may compromise Aunt Cass' trust.

Aunt Cass assumed the role of being their mother, and she raised these two boys while instilling in them the knowledge from what was right from wrong—she doesn't know about Hiro's bot-fighting escapades—but holistically, they both made her proud. What would a nerd like Tadashi do in the middle of the night anyway besides work late hours in the lab or meet up with his fellow nerds to discuss a new project involving robots and science? As far as Aunt Cass was concerned, Tadashi always did what was right. And what Tadashi was about to do _felt _right.

He stealthily made his way out of his room, tiptoeing and making careful movements as possible to avoid unnecessary noise. When he reached the living room to make his exit through the front door, he made sure to lock it properly before scurrying to his motorcycle.

The sound of his engine roaring to life cut through the stillness of the night. The stars above him served as a plethora of lights, guiding him to his destination as if his life depended on it.

* * *

><p>"The sky's awake so I'm awake." Elsa mumbled under breath while bloodshot eyes lazily watched a thin sheet of ice on her windowpane dissipate. The glasses perched on her nose were somewhat fogged, but she could not will herself to wipe them clean. She sat against her bedframe with her knees tucked under her chin. Sleep had eluded her, and she had tried to do homework but realized she had done everything that was due for next week—and the week after that.<p>

Time, she had control of time. She busied herself with schoolwork and racked her brain mercilessly day in and day out without fail just to distract herself from _feeling_. She welcomed the harsh touch of exhaustion and even hunger, but to feel anything other than those was something she refused to partake in.

But tonight, there was nothing left to do and she almost regretted not eating with Tadashi for there was nothing in her apartment that was close to being consumable besides those damn energy bars. Her stomach growled angrily and Elsa did what she did best—avoid the problem.

Elsa tried for Netflix, but her eyes ached and a light migraine draped itself over her head. She fiddled with her cellphone before texting Kai, and according to him, Anna was out on a date with her boyfriend, Kristoff. It was only four o'clock in the afternoon in Norway, and Elsa was pleased about the progress her sister was making: she had been going out a lot more lately and had stopped locking herself inside her room to sulk.

Even though Anna still called Elsa everyday and reaped fruitless results, at least she was up and about. It killed Elsa each and every time her sister called as she stared at her phone hoping for her to stop—hoping for Anna to forgive her.

_It's only for the best. She's safe. She's safer this way._

She had to replace her phone three times this month alone because whenever Anna called, her panic heightens and her phones suffer the repercussions as they turn into blocks of ice. Elsa didn't even bother getting a case for her week-old iPhone 6. It already showed signs of scratches and neglect, but Elsa didn't care.

_I'll probably freeze it again anyway and destroy it. What's the point? I destroy everything I touch and I—_

**INCOMING CALL: Tadashi H.**

_What in the world? _

It was uncharacteristic of Tadashi to call Elsa unless it was about something school related—and in the middle of the day. Their conversations were always short—she made sure of that—and no one ever called her at night except for Kai and Anna. She backtracked and picked at her brain for any undone assignments or change of project plans. No, Tadashi didn't mention anything while they were together earlier tonight.

She stared blankly at the phone screen, the little machine buzzing in her palm relentlessly as if it was begging to be picked up. She snapped her eyes shut, hoping he would just hang up. But he didn't.

_You can't hear me like this. Not now. Please…_

The phone continued to go off, forcing Elsa to press the "End" button. She took in a breath and straightened her back. Whatever it was, it can wait tomorrow and if it were really that important, Tadashi would leave her a voicemail. Content with the validity of her reasoning, she removed her glasses and placed them on her nightstand.

She stared at her phone one last time and tossed it to her side before slithering her body underneath her covers. She was about to beckon sleep once again when she heard a soft knock on her door.

The blonde froze and her eyes widened with panic. _Did…did someone see the ice from my window? Damn it, I should've closed the curtains! I never should've removed those gloves and now someone's going to find out and—_

"Elsa, it's me, Tadashi. Are you there?" Tadashi's voice sounded muffled against the door. Elsa could not believe her ears. Her heart started to thrash inside her chest like waves crashing tumultuously and the throbbing pain poking at her head increased its velocity. She scrambled to her feet and assumed a sitting position, her hands curling around the blankets as if she was holding on to them for support.

"Elsa, can you please open the door? I know you're in there and I know you didn't eat yet—I have shawarma," Tadashi said triumphantly and Elsa knew he was smiling by the tone of his voice.

"It's Saturday tomorrow and who sleeps early on a weekend anyway? Well, maybe you but—well—after what happened tonight, I just want to check up on you and make sure you're— "

Before he knew it, the door swung open and Elsa stood in front of him with arms crossed against her chest, gloves wrapped around her hands, and an unreadable expression etched on her face.

"Hamada, do you know what time it is?" Elsa reprimanded in a clipped voice, her cold blue eyes boring into Tadashi's warm browns.

"You could've woken up the other students. How did you get in here anyway?" It took a lot from her to sound mean and unwelcoming, but she can't have Tadashi knocking at her door unannounced at such random hours especially at night. It was too risky.

"In case you've forgotten, Wasabi lives three rooms down the hall. I simply asked him to open the door for me," he said with a nonchalant shrug, undeterred by Elsa's reproach. He was holding a white bag and he raised it higher to Elsa's eye-level. The delicious scent of freshly cooked shawarma wafted through the air and Elsa's stomach growled loudly in approval. Tadashi smirked and Elsa glared at him before coiling her arms around her sides.

"Take it, I know you want it. And I was right, you didn't eat yet," he smiled while showcasing the bag in front of Elsa's face, teasing her. "The shawarma joint closes late and I just had to get one for you."

Elsa raised a dubious brow. _Had to?_

"Hamada, why are you really here?" Tadashi didn't notice it before, but it was there. Elsa's voice sounded hoarse and nasally as if she had just finished crying. Or was in the middle of it. He noted the blush on her cheeks and the pinkness of her nose, convinced that his observation had some truth in it.

Residues of red hung onto the sides of Elsa's pupils and even though she was wearing glasses, he can still see the coat of gloss over her eyes. Light-colored freckles danced across her nose bridge and Tadashi forced himself to look away as heat started to rise up from the back of his neck to his ears.

He tried for another smile. "Look, I just want to see that you're okay. I'm just gonna give you this bag and I'll leave, okay?"

Elsa pushed her glasses up her nose before extending her hand. Tadashi grinned at her and their fingers brushed at the contact, causing both of them to step back from each other awkwardly. They spoke at the same time.

"Thank you for coming over just to— "

"Elsa, you'll always have me— "

_Wait, what?_

Elsa lowered her hand and her grip tightened around the bag. "You go first. I'll always what?" Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck and forced out a chuckle.

"What I meant to say was, you'll always have me as a friend." He puffed up his chest in attempt to slower the pace of his heart, but the damn thing kept beating furiously as if Elsa's voice summoned it from its slumber.

_But of course I want more. That'll be nice—to be with the kindest, sassiest, prettiest and smartest girl I've ever met. And oh, I'm in love with you. But I can wait. I'll be your friend or anything you need me to be._

"That's—that's nice. I appreciate that." Elsa replied pragmatically in an even tone, trying hard to control her voice and drain it from any emotion resembling weakness and vulnerability. She shifted her weight on one leg and her eyes fell to the side, avoiding Tadashi's stare. When Tadashi didn't reply, she continued on.

"We're lab partners after all, and it's only fitting that we look out for each other so we can do well in Callaghan's class. Anything below an 'A' is simply unacceptable and I— "

It only took two deliberate steps to breach the barrier standing between him and Elsa. Tadashi stretched out his arms and engulfed her in an embrace, shawarma in her hand and all. Elsa dropped the bag. She tensed against him and her hands went on default mode and gripped the sides of his shirt in the opposite direction to wheel him away. But he didn't let go. A whiff of strawberry-flavored shampoo emanating from Elsa's hair slightly disoriented him, but he held her steadfastly.

Elsa didn't know how to react. Her arms hung limply on her sides, defeated and unable to peel Tadashi away from her. It's as if her body didn't want to be separated from him as her arms weakened and refused her orders.

"Look, I'll always be here for you," his voice ghosted over her ear and she shivered when his lips accidentally brushed against her lobe. "You don't have to tell me anything. You don't have to do anything. You can keep pushing me away but that will never stop me from pursuing you."

At this point, Elsa's legs weakened, too. Her eyes frantically scanned her surroundings for any signs of pending disaster—but the walls were free of ice and frost. She felt Tadashi's heart pound against her, and she wondered if he could feel hers, too. Before she can catapult herself into oblivion and disconnect once more, she returned the embrace.

Her arms snaked around his neck and she nuzzled his shoulder, relishing the warmth it exuded against her cheek. Just this once, she allowed herself to be touched. Just this once, for a few seconds in time, she allowed someone to hold her and make her feel human.

Her first hug in thirteen years.

An indescribable feeling swept over her that she could not put into words or logic. But before she can let this illegal and unknown emotion consume her, she jerked herself free of Tadashi. Elsa's hands balled up over his chest, prompting him to release her. But instead of letting go, his hands slid down to the small of her back.

"Tadashi, please let go," Elsa pleaded as she dug for every ounce of strength within her to keep herself from inching her face to his. They were close, so close. His dilated pupils mirrored hers, and the only thing preventing them from closing the gap between their lips was her fear and his chivalry.

He didn't want to come off too strong, he wanted to respect her request but it was so—damn—hard.

With those majestic, bright blue eyes entrancing him, he found it hard to separate himself from her. He found it hard not to kiss her and die right there and then doing just that for the rest of his life. He found it physically painful to let go of her touch. He loved her, he loved her, oh, how he loved her.

But he had to let go. A close-mouthed smile lifted the corners of lips. "I'm sorry if I came off too strong. But if it's still not obvious, I do have feelings for you." The confession caused Elsa's eyebrows to shoot up to her hairline, but Tadashi was surprisingly calm as his words rolled off from his tongue clearly and effortlessly. He never had a problem telling the truth. And this was the truth. After months of being cautious around Elsa, he found himself tired and even frustrated over the rollercoaster of his emotions for her. Screw it. It was either now or never.

Elsa's mouth gaped open, but Tadashi interrupted her before she can protest. "I don't want you to think you're obligated to feel the same," he raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm just telling you this because I want to be honest with you since you deserve nothing short of that. If you just want to remain friends, that's also fine with me."

He stepped back and regarded the blonde, hoping and yearning for her to feel the same way, too. A shot in the dark. A wild dream. He dared to reach for the stars. Elsa mentally counted to ten before replying. Her lips pressed into a line and she folded her hands just below her stomach. And as steady and as calm as she could, she collected herself to address the situation while joy pooled in every crevice of her heart for it screamed Tadashi's name.

But this joy was not something she deserved. It was meant to end like all things in her life. It was meant to remain locked away and separated from her like her parents and her sister.

_Breathe._ "Tadashi, I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way." She felt something within her break, like a rock had just shoved itself down her throat and sunk to the bottom of her chest. Her voice sounded weak and brittle, and her nose had started to sting. A sign that tears were forming behind her eyes.

The look on Tadashi's face made her feel like she just swallowed a bag of thorns and made their way to puncture every organ in her body. Though he smiled and nodded his head in understanding, Elsa can see the pain flash across his face momentarily and she could not bear to look at him any longer.

All she did was cause heartbreak. All she was ever good at was hurting people.

"That's fine, Elsa," Tadashi replied with an air of empty cheerfulness in his voice. His smile did not reach his eyes. "But like what I said before, I'm here and I'll always be your friend." He gently punched her arm as a gesture of good will before adjusting his baseball hat. She held back the desire to hug him and apologize over and over again for being a horrible liar.

Elsa inhaled and exhaled through her nose. She picked up the bag of shawarma from the floor, but she no longer felt hungry. She felt void more than ever and she just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep for days. Sensing Elsa's uneasiness and the blanket of awkwardness hovering over them, Tadashi rubbed his hands together and readied himself to leave.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. And uh—I'll see you in class soon. Text me if you need anything."

"Goodnight, Tadashi," she said quietly, forcing herself to smile even though it hurt. "Thank you for the shawarma and I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you around, Elsa."

Elsa watched him walk across the hallway and into the elevator. Tadashi paused, gave her one last wave and he went inside. His eyes were sad. Elsa raised a hand in acknowledgement before opening her door and entering into the safety of her room.

She closed the door behind her and let her back rest against it, allowing herself to slide down to the floor. A storm of flurries swirled over her, around her, within her, and she drew her knees up against herself and sobbed.


	7. Return To Me (Part I)

**A/N:** And here's an update. :) This is part one out of _three. _So I guess you can say this whole story is becoming some sort of multi chapter? Perhaps. And yes, "the reveal" is about to take place soon.

* * *

><p><em>If you would come back home,<em>  
><em>we could start all over<em>  
><em>If you would come back home,<em>  
><em>I swear it would be better<em>

_There's room left in the house,_  
><em>there's food still in the pantry<em>  
><em>I could fix you lunch or take you out for coffee<em>

_Call the surgeon, mend the pieces_  
><strong><br>Now Playing: William Fitzsimmons / ****_If You Would Come Back Home_**

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?"<strong><em><br>_**

A tired and hollow sigh can be heard by the windowsill. "I'm sure. You've asked me like, ten times already."

"What if it doesn't work out?" Sad brown eyes followed the figure that started to pace back forth across the room. He was used to seeing her antsy and moving all the time, but not like this. She has been uncharacteristically somber for months, and he didn't know how to remedy the inner turmoil that continued to plague her.

She has been absent-minded and distracted lately to the point where he no longer knew whether he could reach out to her or not. He felt like he was losing her little by little each day. Yes, she laughed and smiled, but they seemed out of politeness for they never reached her eyes anymore. Downcast. She has been downcast and broken, but she continued to face each day with her false bravado and fragile optimism.

But he knew better.

And he knew there was only thing—one person—who can fix this and it wasn't him.

"Then I'll try again," she replied quietly, breaking through his melancholy stupor.

It was his turn to sigh this time. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, carefully watching her, his eyebrows narrowing with apprehension.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head a lit bit too vigorously. "No. I have to do this on my own."

He straightened his back and took seven careful steps toward her. Left. Right. Left. Right. Once they were facing each other, she smiled at him before snaking her arms around his neck.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" She asked, sincere green eyes searching his face. His heart skipped a beat in reply. If there was one thing he knew to be true and unwavering, it was Anna Arendelle's love for him. He never questioned that. He never will.

Kristoff returned her smile as he coiled his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I know, and I love _you_," he murmured under his breath, legs weakening at the sight of her inches away from his face. She craned her neck and brushed her lips against his, softly yet firmly. Gently, but not so much. Kristoff raised his hands to cradle her jaw, angling her face so he can deepen the kiss. They stood like that for a while, their lips colliding with each other rhythmically without missing a beat.

Anna slid her hands up Kristoff's face, gently pulling away from the kiss. He followed her cue without objection. He squared his shoulders but his hands were still resting on Anna's hips, careful not to let them wander in indecent places.

Anna stared at him apologetically. "I have to pack my stuff. Wanna come help me?"

"Of course," he replied before pecking her lips. "But—it's just that—" A flash of worry clouded his eyes, and Anna caught it right before it disappeared. She rested her hand on his face, quietly urging him to continue on.

Kristoff untangled himself from her and crossed his arms again, returning to his post by the main door entrance. "What if Elsa doesn't wanna see you? What if you guys just end up fighting?"

Anna raised a defiant brow and crossed her arms, mimicking her boyfriend. "Then we'll fight. It's about time that we fought. She's always avoiding me—the problem—whatever it is. And you know what? I'm gonna find her and she'll have no choice but to talk to me."

Kristof couldn't help but smirk. He sauntered back to where he was standing until he was towering over her. "Really? You're really gonna do that?" he challenged.

Anna's face fell as she remembered how foolish and overly _hopeful_ she sounded. "Well, we do need to talk. It's been a while—it's been _years _and I…I really miss her, Kristoff," she trailed off, green eyes slowly turning dark with sadness.

He wanted to kick himself for being tactless. "Hey, I'm just kidding," he said guiltily. "I have faith in you. You never know—maybe the one thing she wants the most is to see you, too."

Anna chuckled dryly. "Maybe. The last time I went there without Elsa knowing, her friend Tadashi helped me. I'll call him later and I'll let him know that I'll be coming back." Kristoff stretched out his arms and embraced her protectively. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her cheek. "As long as you're okay, then I'll be okay," he said while looking at her with a calm expression.

His worries had started to fade away after realizing his girlfriend was the bravest person he knew. He had underestimated her, momentarily forgetting that she has been dealing with the same predicament since she was five years old. She didn't need him around to discourage her from the one thing she wanted the most—reconciliation with her sister.

All he ever wanted was for her to be at peace and happy. And if that meant letting her leave by herself to fight her battle alone as she had requested, he was willing to let her do that. Though fretful and unsure of how the outcome would play out, he knew Anna could handle whatever storm may come her way.

"What's your itinerary again?" Kristoff suddenly asked, mentally noting to take off from work and find someone who would look after his dog, Sven, so he can send her off.

Anna hummed as she searched her mind for her flight's details. "Charles Muntz International Airport, Business Class, direct flight—" she recited, still missing the crucial part of the information she and Kristoff needed.

The blond man interrupted her. "Muntz? Anna, you own_ three_ private planes. Can't you just use one of them instead of dealing with other people?"

"I want to be with actual, real-life people, Kristoff," she said while tucking her hair behind her ear, "And they're not mine. They were Papa and Mama's—there's only two now because—well…the other one crashed," she said the last word in an almost whisper, remembering her parents' sudden and unfortunate demise.

"I-I'm sorry," Kristoff stammered, suddenly desperate to change the topic, "Well, yes, I can drop you off at Muntz. But do you know when exactly?"

Anna shot her boyfriend a grateful smile for not arguing with her about her flight arrangements. Kristoff was stubborn, but he was not insensitive. He knew Anna did not like remembering what happened to her parents, especially at this time of year, and he made it his personal mission to somehow lessen the pain she was going through.

"Oh! I remember now!" Anna piped up.

Kristoff quirked a brow. "What?"

The redhead took in a sharp intake of breath. Her excitement was tinged with a slight touch of trepidation.

"Christmas Eve. My flight to San Fransokyo is on Christmas Eve."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, but—aaahhh—ahhhh—<em>choooo!"<em>

A blast of flurries sprinkled her desk as she struggled to type her notes up on her laptop. It was that dreadful time of the year again, and she had refused to get a flu shot in fears of panicking and freezing the campus clinic. She hated needles as much as she hated winter.

Puffy-eyed, red-nosed, feverish, and absolutely miserable, Elsa slouched on her desk and forced herself to focus on her lab partner's voice. They had a project due before Winter Break, and Elsa refused to meet up with said lab partner because of very obvious reasons.

Instead, she locked herself in her room, opting to somehow remedy her flu. She stacked her pantry with Benadryl, Tylenol, boxes of chicken noodle soup and everything else she found necessary to quicken her recovery. It has been three days since she last went to class, but thankfully, Callaghan was very understanding of her situation and had his lectures video recorded and sent to her.

"Uhm—Elsa, are you okay?" Tadashi asked on the other side of the phone, masking the concern in his voice. He tried to sound casual—apathetic—but he couldn't help but wonder how Elsa was doing considering he had not seen her in days.

_She sounds bad. Really bad._

Elsa waved a dismissive hand, forgetting Tadashi would not be able to see her. She had him on speakerphone. It would've been easier if they conversed using video chat, but the last thing Elsa wanted to do was cough up a storm—a snowstorm—in front of Tadashi.

For as long as she could remember, the only people that were allowed to visit her when she was sick were her parents. They knew what to do. They knew how to calm her down. Even though she had already forgotten her mother's touch and how it felt to be touched, the sight of her parents being in the same room with her, watching over her as she rested, was enough to help her rejuvenate.

Her parents kept her company. And that somehow—for just a little bit—helped her not miss Anna so much.

Even though her refusal to be held and touched pained her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arendelle respected their daughter and refrained from forcing her to do things that may trigger her anxiety and fears.

Agdar and Idun wanted to hold their daughter in their arms—but Elsa kept them at arm's length, desperately trying hard to protect them from herself.

One of the things Elsa regretted the most was the fact that she never had the chance to hug them or say "I love you" before they died. Another memory to add to her abundant list of things to hate about her existence.

"I'm fine, thank you. I've taken my meds earlier so I should be fine and—and—_ahhhh—chooooo! _

Tadashi cringed and slightly drew his phone away from his ear. "Are you sure? I can just ask Callaghan for an extension, I'm sure he'll understand. You can't— "

Elsa shook her head stubbornly, forgetting once again that the other person could not see her. She wiped her nose on a piece of tissue. "No, we have to finish this. We only have five more questions to go. Wanna go over that Inverse Kinematics of Planar Mechanisms summary?"

_She's so stubborn._ Tadashi suppressed a sigh and tried to deviate his attention back to his notebook. Although he was happy to have Elsa on the phone with him, it wasn't exactly a conversation one would call romantic.

Number one, the object of his affection had already rejected him, and number two, they were strictly talking about their report. That was it—plus the coughing and sneezing that was coming from Elsa's side of the line. He shook his head and pressed a finger on his notebook, tracing his messy scribbles and the numbers jotted all over the place.

"Right. Okay, so, all we have to do is find the joint displacements that lead the end-effecter to a specified position and orientation, but the thing is—"

"Yeah that'll be easy. We can just maneuver the—_ahhhhhh—CHOOOOO!_" Elsa had to place her phone back on the desk for she had started to have a coughing fit. She gripped the armrest of her chair, struggling to breathe as she felt her insides thrash back and forth against her ribs. Her abdominals clenched in pain, her chest heaving and pounding from the force of her coughing.

As if seeing what was taking place, Tadashi immediately stood up from his seat and pushed his phone closer to his ear. His brow notched in a frown and he cupped his mouth with a hand, listening intently. Elsa continued to cough and wheeze aggressively like she was choking on something, and Tadashi's worry multiplied. Elsa left her phone on the table and walked away, as Tadashi suspected, because he can only hear her from a distance.

It took a few minutes before Elsa regained her composure. "Tadashi? Are you still there?" She asked in a wobbly voice. "I'm sorry about that, if you want, I can just do the whole report by myself and—"

"Do the _whole_ report by yourself?" Tadashi asked incredulously. "Elsa, are you hearing yourself right now? You sound _horrible._ If anything, I should be the one doing this part of the report since it is, after all, _my _part."

Elsa swept her bangs to the side, bit her lower lip, and frowned. "I know, but it'll be more efficient if we add more points to it," she argued, pushing the nagging thought lurking behind her head that screamed the possibility that she may be prolonging this project because she wanted to spend time with him. "I just want to make sure everything is perfect for the presentation," she said quietly, confused by the sudden warmness that spread throughout her face.

"God, you're such a perfectionist," Tadashi muttered. "If you don't want to rest, then _I'm coming over._ Whatever it is that you're doing to make yourself feel better is obviously not working, and—you're right—we need to finish this project," he exclaimed sternly, not faltering or tripping over his words per usual whenever he talked to her. Quite honestly, he didn't care much for this report, but he needed it as an incentive to convince Elsa to let him see her.

His sudden boldness surprised him, but there was no taking what he said back now. He knew she would reject him and make up a thousand excuses not to see him, but he _missed_ her—and he really wanted to get this assignment over with so he can help his Aunt Cass' plan her Christmas dinner.

Elsa's eyes widened and she felt herself biting the tip of her tongue. "No," she said tonelessly and almost too mechanically, "I-I mean, you can't come over. I'm contagious and you're just gonna get sick." For once, her words did not contradict her thoughts. Everything that she said was true; she was deathly ill, and getting Tadashi sick just in time for their presentation wasn't exactly suitable and convenient.

_Here we go._ Tadashi rolled his eyes, thankful the blonde could not see him. "Elsa, I can wear a mask or something. I had my flu shot a month ago, I should be good."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck. He suspected Elsa was thinking of the last time he came over to her apartment—it was the night he confessed his feelings for her and was rejected big time. It has been five weeks since that night, and he found ways to nurse his wounds by pretending he wasn't devastated by her unreciprocated affections.

He still chose to be her friend. He never acted awkward around her—well he tried. _Trying. _And he never really did give up on her, either. He tucked his scarred heart inside his pocket and continued to act normal around her. Whatever that meant.

Elsa didn't want him to be anything else but her friend. And he can give her that.

"Elsa, I know you haven't been eating well. Can I just bring you some soup? Please?" Tadashi implored her softly and gripped his phone a little bit tighter.

"And if you're really worried about getting me sick, you can just close the door and I'll sit outside. We can talk about our report through that little slit from under it or something," he suggested, hoping what he said made sense.

And it did. What he said made perfect sense. And it stung.

The face of her sister, Anna, flashed across her mind and she found herself clutching at her chest. Her sister was always on the opposite side of her door; begging her, crying out to her, waiting for her—and she could do nothing but muffle her own weeping with her pillow, desperately praying for her sister to leave—no, stay—no leave. Stay. Leave. Stay. Leave. Stay.

She wanted to set herself on fire at the thought of Tadashi mimicking Anna's attempts to reach out to her through that damn door and its damn slit.

Elsa took in a controlled, even breath. "Fine, you can come over," she mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't have to bring a mask, I have an extra one here that I took from the lab."

Tadashi's eyebrows shot up to this hairline. "That's great," he squeaked, then cringed for sounding a little bit too excited. He coughed, pretending to clear his throat, and tried again. "That's great. I'll be there in an hour. I'll see you then—bye." He didn't want to hang up, but he didn't want to waste time either. He was finally seeing her, and that was all that mattered.

"Bye," she whispered, grinning by the barest bit upon catching that slight hitch in Tadashi's voice.

Elsa looked around her room and found relief when she saw the surroundings in tact and free of frost. Her medication had started to kick in, and she prayed that this would help suppress her sneezes and coughing galore. She sighed and rubbed the sides of her head with her eyes closed. The steady drumming of her heart echoed through her ears and she felt a surge of warmth rising from the pit of her stomach to her chest.

She wasn't sure if it was Tadashi's voice that sparked that comforting feeling, or her own growing excitement radiating from the corners of heart for what was about to take place.

_I miss you._

She whimpered, forcing her mind to banish that thought away.

* * *

><p><em>Breathe. Just breathe.<em>

Elsa stood in front of mirror trying to calm her tense nerves after realizing what she had agreed to. Anticipation turned into confusion and anxiety—as if she didn't have enough of those as is.

_It's going to be fine. We're just working on this project like we did in the past. _

She washed her face once more time and tried to clean the nagging feeling of sickness and exhaustion from her skin, hoping Tadashi wouldn't be so worried when he sees her… She started to wonder if the redness on her face and the weakness on her limbs were from her intense fever that only got worse by the minute, or from blushing profusely while conversing with Tadashi just a few moments ago.

_No. I can't have these thoughts throw me off again. Not anymore. _

Against her body's protest, she dragged herself to the kitchen to tidy up although her countertop and everything that surrounded her room was nothing short of spotless. She sighed when she saw there was nothing to be done so she looked to her study section. The bookshelf next to her desk stood tall, the books on it meticulously arranged in alphabetical and genre order. The bed adjacent to it was made perfectly, as if no one had ever slept on it before. Convinced that everything was presentable, she walked to her dresser and pulled out the first sweater she could find.

The one that caught her attention was an oversized, teal colored sweater that once belonged to Anna.

She never condoned _stealing_ or borrowing another person's item without asking—but before leaving Norway, she managed to sneak into Anna's room, stroke her sleeping sister's forehead for a brief second, and take her sweater with her to keep herself safe and warm for the many nights of crying that she knew she would have to endure later on.

She was greedy. Anna had given her a hoodie a few years ago as a birthday present; but something she knew Anna had worn before gave her a sense of comfort—she made herself believe that Anna was hugging her and holding her whenever she would wear her sweater.

Elsa pulled the sacred article of clothing down over her head, simultaneously wondering what her sister was up to and if she finally realized that her sweater was missing. Before her mind can wander off to thoughts of her sister's childhood that she ruined, a soft knock interrupted her, alerting her of Tadashi's arrival.

The blonde warily ran her hands down her face, ignoring the heat permeating from her skin. She was burning up once again and a sharp flash of pain speared through her head, causing her to shut her eyes in agony. Her joints had started to ache once more and the tightness in her chest became heavier. She gathered whatever fleeting strength she had left and took in a breath and forced herself to open her eyes, determined to finish their project. Though it was only a few steps, Elsa struggled to reach the door as her legs screamed in disagreement. Finally reaching the doorknob, she turned it, opened the door, and was greeted by a familiar smiling face.

_Breathe. You can do this._

"Hi, Elsa," Tadashi said cheerfully, a container of freshly cooked soup in hand. The boy donned a brown cardigan over a white shirt, a black messenger bag on his shoulder, and his usual San Fransokyo baseball hat. The corners of Elsa's lips rose into a close-mouthed smile while she opened her door wider, gesturing for him to come inside. It _irked _her, these droplets of happiness slowly raining down on her upon seeing him for the first time in days. But he was there. She was there. And they agreed to meet up for their project and that was that.

"Hey," Elsa acknowledged him, her voice thick with exhaustion and hoarse from coughing. Tadashi noticed that her usually luminous blue eyes were glazed over. If they were guarded or reflecting the sickness she was currently feeling physically, it was hard for Tadashi to tell. Although her bangs were framing the sides of her face, Tadashi still noticed the blotch of red staining her cheeks. Once they were inside the room, Elsa gently pushed the door behind her and rested her back against it.

Tadashi forced himself to peel his eyes away from Elsa by casually turning his head to look around the room. "Nice place you got here. It's—clean," he winced, wanting to kick himself for his plain and asinine statement.

The room was perfect, organized, and carefully designed with a few paintings hanging on the wall—suggesting the owner has an eye for art. He could've said more, but he was distracted by the way Elsa looked standing by her door, arms wrapped around her sides like she was struggling to stand up in place.

"Thank you," she said, forcing a chuckle. "I try to keep it—clean," she trailed off, immediately knowing the heat that crept up to her face was not produced by her fever.

Tadashi opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. Awkwardness was starting to slowly drape itself over them, and it was only made worse when Tadashi shifted and almost spilled the soup he was holding.

"Is that the soup that you said you were going to bring?" Elsa inquired, trying to lessen the growing tension. She pointed at the container, prompting Tadashi to look at it, too, as if he didn't know what it was that he was holding.

"Oh, yeah. Aunt Cass made it. It's miso soup." Tadashi swallowed hard when Elsa started to approach him, her eyes curiously inspecting the object in his hand. He carefully lifted the container for her to reach when suddenly, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks, hand trembling and shooting up to her head.

"Elsa, are you okay?" Tadashi's forehead wrinkled with worry as he watched Elsa press _both_ of her hands against the sides of her head with force. He immediately bent down to place the soup and his bag aside, his heart beating faster by the second.

Elsa tried to wave him off. "I'm fine, I just—it's just—a headache," she replied weakly, the look in her eyes growing distant. Tadashi stared at her askance, breaching her personal space by moving a few inches closer to her. Elsa's legs were weakening, and she was starting to lose control of her own body because her fever had spiked tremendously with a vengeance.

"I don't think you're okay. I think you should sit down," he instructed gently, hands hovering in front of her. "Elsa, you really need to rest. I'm going to call Callaghan for an extension. Everything will work out, okay?"

Her eyes were half-lidded and she wobbled clumsily like a building about to crumble. "I'm really fine. Just give me a moment to collect myself and we can—"

A jolt of pain burrowed through her head, causing her legs to finally fail her. The last thing she heard was Tadashi's panicked voice calling out her name over and over again. She caught glimpses of his face and felt him catch her in his arms as she collapsed, wanting so badly to touch his forehead and brush away the lines of concern staining his features.

But before another breath can escape her, everything went black.


	8. Return To Me (Part II)

**A/N:** Here's an update!

And yes, this is _not_ solely Tadelsa-centric. But I think it gets better. :)

* * *

><p>The time that it took writing words for my book seems to have broken off<br>The gate that I shut last time I got hurt s eems to have opened itself

Oh the world is spinnin' now , it's tryna catch me up  
>Tell me to appreciate, here and now<br>I'm sorry but I meant to say many things along the way  
>This ones for you:<p>

Have I told you I ache , have I told you I ache ?  
>Have I told you I ache, for you?<p>

**Now Playing: James Carrington / Ache**

* * *

><p>Unconscious.<p>

Elsa's lips were slightly parted and her eyes were shut under long lashes. She resembled a young child in tranquil slumber, detached from the world around her—detached from Tadashi who was holding her in his arms. But he knew her sleep wasn't produced blissfully. His mind spun with frenzy and uneasiness while helplessly cradling her.

"Elsa, please wake up," he pleaded, his face ghosting only a few breaths away from hers. But the sound of Elsa inhaling and exhaling air served as his only reply. She was warm under his touch, the back of her neck buried against the crook of his arm. The heat that was radiating from Elsa's skin caused him to frown deeply, prompting him to scan the room for a nearby phone. He carefully fumbled through his back pocket to try and locate his, but there was nothing there.

_She needs to go to the hospital now. Right now. Where the hell is my phone?_

His heart sank when he realized he had left it inside Aunt Cass' car in his hurry to get to her apartment. Desperate and worried sick, he made a decision to bring Elsa to her bed and seek help down the hall where Wasabi resided. He sighed in resignation and repositioned himself in a kneeling position, carefully hoisting himself up, his arms flexing as they carefully lifted Elsa. Carrying her required little to no effort at all for she was feather-light, unresisting and limp in his arms.

Tadashi had always dreamt of holding her, but not like this. Not when she was knocked out senseless and with him not knowing how much pain she was in. A few strands of her hair fell over her eye-lids when he straightened his back against her weight, and Tadashi lifted a hesitant finger to push them away to the side. He paused for a few moments to study the explosion of light-colored freckles across her nose, finding himself mildly lost in awe of how beautiful she was. For a moment, he just stared at her, curious of what her dreams consisted of and if she could somehow see him in it. And for a second—just a second—his eyes travelled around her lips and he wondered how it would be like to—

He shook his head to rid his mind of those idle musings. Now was not the time to daydream. Not now. Not ever. Not about those things.

It almost felt illegal to unfurl her blankets. Perfectly pressed with the corners tucked to the sides in a military-school like manner, Tadashi lowered Elsa on her bed in the gentlest way possible. Relief washed over him when Elsa finally showed signs of life by tucking her hands under her chin and arching her body in a fetal position. Tadashi's features softened as he released a small sigh. He plopped himself on the bed amiably, leaving just enough room for personal space, and lifted the blanket over her.

His friend looked so frail and so little as she drowned under the huge comforter. The only thing left of her that was visible was her crown of blonde hair and a pink ear poking out of the sheets. A passing twinge of jealousy infiltrated Tadashi's bearings while he looked on to her and the blankets covering her…he wished it had been him that kept her warm instead. And again, he rebuked himself silently for his brain's reckless and impossible ideations.

Instead of dwelling in those thoughts, he made himself useful by bending over and pressing two fingers against Elsa's carotid artery. He palpated the side of her neck, just below her jaw, to assess her heartbeat—it was bounding and steady, much to his relief.

_Okay. At least she's moving now and her heart is stable. That's a good sign. _

_Now what?_

Tadashi shot Elsa a wary look before tiptoeing toward her door to find Wasabi.

*****  
>"Damn it all, why won't you just budge?"<p>

Deft hands scrambled around the miniature bot, purposely trying to replace a loose wire that exploded from the previous night. Hiro Hamada scrutinized his invention without missing a detail. The youngest Hamada brother was a prodigy in robotics engineering with a number of credentials under his name; one boasting of being the youngest in his age in all of San Fransokyo that have effortlessly nailed a record breaking IQ test.

But unlike his overachieving brother, Hiro remained stagnant and shied away from furthering his studies. Convinced that he knew better and didn't need college to pursue his dreams of being a renowned inventor, Hiro stubbornly refused scholarship offers from various universities, much to Tadashi and Aunt Cass' dismay. But his older brother had faith in him: he believed Hiro would soon realize what he was missing out on and enroll himself in a school eventually. It was only a matter of time…with lots of nagging and persuasion.

"I just need to connect this wire and I'm done," the fourteen-year-old mumbled under his breath, screwdriver in hand as he worked meticulously on the machine sprawled on his desk. "I think I'll just cut this part and replace it with another—"

Genius ideations were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. Hiro pretended not to have heard it, assuming it was Tadashi calling to check on him even though they had just spoken less than an hour ago.

Hiro rolled his eyes. "I'm home, Tadashi. You don't need to worry. I won't go bot-fighting later…since my bot is currently broken," he explained to the ringing object without so much as a glance, talking to it as if it were his brother. "Stop being such a spaz, big bro," he complained under his breath before returning his attention back to his robot. When the ringing didn't stop, Hiro raised his hands and let out a frustrated growl.

He reluctantly shifted to the side to finally take notice of his phone, but much to his surprise, the name that blared through his screen wasn't Tadashi's name. A smile started to stretch from his face and he quickly dropped his screw driver to pick up the call.

"Glad to know you're alive," he greeted without a 'hello', "I almost felt like you were ignoring me."

The other side of the line buzzed with activity. The shuffling of feet and indistinct chattering can be heard, accompanied by a light static that was caused by weak cellular reception. But the caller's voice cut through the background noise loud and clear without faltering.

"I miss you! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to call you last week!" Hiro could hear the regret and sincerity in her voice and nodded understandingly. "But I have great news that's why I called! Is Tadashi there with you?"

Hiro rolled his eyes again. "No, he's probably out with the nerds or with Elsa. And I miss you, too."

A beat.

"Elsa?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeeep. I think he's hanging out with her or something. But anyway, what's the great news?"

There was a pause, causing Hiro to raise a brow. "Hey, are you still there?"

"Uhm—yeah. Sorry about that. I just walked in the bathroom so there'll be less noise—I was just in a company meeting."

"Boring. So what were you gonna tell me?"

"Right. Okay so—I'm coming to visit San Fransokyo!"

Hiro stood abruptly from his seat, eyes brimming with excitement over Anna's announcement. "Really? When?"

"In a few days!" The voice on the other line sounded just as excited. Hiro did a small happy dance that he copied from Tadashi when he saw him do it after successfully building his first robot prototype.

"You're coming over for our Christmas dinner. This is gonna be great!"

"Well…of course I'll come if you invite me! I really want to hang out with you and Tadashi!"

Hiro could've sworn his face was going to split apart from his hundred-watt grin. "Of course I'm inviting you! Christmas Eve, at our house—no excuses!"

"I'll be there! But I have to go now—the meeting is about to start again."

"Right, right. I'll see you soon, Anna!"

Anna couldn't help but giggle at the boy's excitement. The two became good friends when she visited San Fransokyo a few months back. They clicked immediately, and it surprised Tadashi to see his brother interacting with Anna they way he did—he has never seen him so social and lively around other people except with him and Aunt Cass. But upon meeting Anna Arendelle, Hiro seemed to have found another older sibling—which Tadashi did not mind one bit because he once imagined marrying Elsa one day, automatically making Anna a member of the family, too.

He never disclosed this fantasy to anyone because he was once again letting his impossible reveries get the best of him; but he was genuinely pleased with Anna and Hiro's camaraderie. He liked Anna from the very start, and he was proud that Hiro found another role model to look up to besides him.

Anna smiled warmly. "Right! I'll see you soon, little brother!"

*****  
><em>What is that amazing smell?<em>

Elsa slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them with sluggish fists. The headache that took her consciousness was reduced tremendously, and she felt so much better than she did before. Though no longer suffering from the horrible sensation of her head being split in half, her joints still felt weak. The scent of chocolate wafting through the air tickled her nose, causing her to prop her elbows over the mattress beneath her to locate its source.

Weary blue shot wide open, panic and realization latching onto them upon seeing Tadashi Hamada standing by her countertop with what seemed to be a pot of hot chocolate sitting in front of him. He was busy reading the label of a cough syrup to notice her waking up.

"Tadashi?" Elsa's voice cracked—her throat was dry and aching. "Tadashi, what are you—what happened? Why am I in my bed?" She struggled to sit up, wincing as she felt the side of her head throb. Moving too fast proved to be a bad idea, so Elsa slowly wriggled herself up and leaned her back against the bedframe.

Tadashi immediately turned his head to her and smiled. He allowed himself a few moments to take it all in: Elsa looking disheveled, lax, and completely out of her element. Usually dressed pristinely without a single wrinkle on her clothes, the sight of Elsa being the exact opposite of perfection made Tadashi's heart gallop. Even without make-up, even without her hair neatly braided and resting elegantly on her shoulder, she was just as equally attractive—_more_ attractive to him. And her hair—goddamn it, her hair mussed up and falling over her eyes was just something he found instantly alluring.

"Hey there, you're finally up," he finally acknowledged her, placing the bottle aside. "How are you feeling?"

A flaccid hand rubbed the side of Elsa's cheek and she swept her bangs to the side. "Terrible," she admitted. "I feel like I just got hit by a truck."

Tadashi nodded his head in agreement while he grabbed a steaming mug of chocolate milk, feet moving to Elsa's direction. "Well, I'm glad you're awake," he said, tilting his head to the side to examine her. "You really got me worried when you passed out."

Elsa's heart bounded over her chest. "I—I fainted?" Instinctively, her eyes scanned the surroundings of her room for any signs of ice and frost—but to her relief, there was none. Tadashi raised a brow at the odd reaction but simply ignored it. His socks brushed against the wooden floor and he stood over Elsa, quietly noting her improvement: she didn't look as pale as she did before and the dark circles under her eyes weren't as prominent.

She smoothed her hair and her hand travelled down her arm, absentmindedly rubbing it.. "How long was I out?"

"You were out for four hours, Elsa," Tadashi murmured, hoping this information wouldn't be so upsetting. "But thank God you're okay and didn't get a concussion or something because—uh—I caught you before you fell. Are you hungry?"

Blue eyes widened like saucers. "I was out for _four _hours?" Elsa shrieked, her pulse quickening again. "Our _project!_ We have to finish it, Tadashi, we have to—ow—my head—"

"Whoa, there!" Tadashi rushed to her side the moment Elsa yelped in pain. He immediately placed the mug on her bedside table and scrambled next to her, his hands flying to each side of her head. "What hurts? Tell me—do you want me to call a doctor?"

Big brown eyes bore into icy blues, his flitting back and forth around her face as if trying to find the cause of her distress. Tadashi's forehead creased with concern, examining her closely, their faces a few breaths from each other. He felt a surge of heat beneath his palms—coincidentally about the same time Elsa's cheeks turned beet red. Elsa opened her mouth and closed it again. The intensity of Tadashi's eyes on her left her at a loss for words, bewildered with a pounding heart about to burst out of her chest.

They stared at each for a long moment, Tadashi's calloused hands on her face and Elsa's jaw hanging loosely.

It was Tadashi's turn to blush. He wrenched his hands away from her and looked away, hoping she wouldn't take notice of his reddened cheeks. Oh, he can feel it: he was sure he had turned into a human tomato by now.

"I-I'm fine," Elsa squeaked, eyes blinking furiously. For a brief moment, against her logic and scientific reasoning, she wondered if the warmth Tadashi's hands exuded on her cheeks calmed the onslaught that was about to take over her aching head once more. Elsa bit her lip, shaking away the feeling of _comfort _that saturated her from the brief contact.

She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but she missed Tadashi's touch the moment it left her.

Embarrassed, Tadashi cleared his throat, and he brushed his hand over his hair. "I'm—I'm sorry. Wasabi brought in a bunch of medicine, and they're right over there," he informed her, drawing her attention to a white plastic bag on her desk. "Would you like me to fetch you some aspirin?" He turned his head back to Elsa, noting the light brush of pink on her cheeks and the way her hands were intertwined with one another. She nodded meekly, eyes shouldering past him and catching a view of her sink filled with empty mugs. A light frown distorted her features for she did not recall having guests or using that many mugs. She was sure her sink was clean before Tadashi arrived.

Tadashi followed her trail, his hand rubbing against the back of his neck. "Oh, that. Don't worry about that right now, I'll wash them. They didn't take anything from your pantry, don't worry," he grinned sheepishly, unwillingly pulling himself up from the bed to attend to the sink. "I'm gonna get you some aspirin. Do you want to down it with chocolate milk or water?"

Elsa blinked up at him in confusion. "They?"

"The gang. They were here and they helped me finish our project," Tadashi replied, his back facing her as he walked back to the kitchen. "Like I said, you were out for a couple of hours so I used that time to be productive. I called them up to help me out and I made sure they were extra quiet so you can keep resting." He shrugged his shoulders, shooting Elsa an easy smile before rummaging through the white plastic bag to retrieve a bottle of aspirin.

"And before you start worrying, no, it's not considered cheating," he said with a smirk. "We all have different assignments and they were really happy they could help."

Nerves that were inactive started to awaken from their brief rest. "Honey, Go, Wasabi _and _Fred were here?" Elsa asked nervously, her voice unsteady and on the verge of breaking. "Th-they were _here?_"

She never invited anyone over before. No, she couldn't afford to take that risk.

So many things could have gone wrong. Elsa had never fainted before, and she didn't know the repercussions of an occurrence such as that. She didn't know if ice leaked out from her hands or if she had turned her room into an icebox without being aware of it due to her being unconscious. She didn't know these things, and it alarmed her that she might have revealed her secret to Tadashi and the rest of her classmates.

"Yeah, they were. I called them up. I hope you don't mind, we were all worried about you." Tadashi muttered distractedly, brown eyes scrutinizing the label of the aspirin bottle he was holding. "Honey and Go made lasagna for you, it's in the fridge."

Elsa studied Tadashi's movements, observing him for any hints of fear or oddity that can only be produced if he had seen anything bizarre happening while he was in her room. But the boy moved about with ease, completely unaware of Elsa's unspoken panic and concerns. She clutched at chest and surveyed her room once more, but there was nothing out of the usual there. She held back a sigh of relief when Tadashi glanced at her and smiled. She returned his gesture, fingers rolled around her sheets, mentally coaxing her anxiety to flee.

Elsa took in a breath before speaking. "That's very nice of them," she started, smoothening her hair with a hand. "So you guys finished the project? Can I go see it?"

Tadashi wagged his finger disapprovingly. "Nuh-uh. It's done. Over. I e-mailed our paper to Callaghan. I told him about what happened to you today and he said we could present last. We'll go over the details tomorrow. Today, it's rest day. No looking at computers or papers."

"You _what?_"

She crossed her arms petulantly, icy blue eyes no longer bleary as they glared at Tadashi. "Tadashi, you didn't even show me what you guys did and you just e-mailed Callaghan our paper without even telling me? What if—"

He interrupted her, hands hovering in a placating gesture. "Elsa, _four_—well, three—Fred didn't really do much but cheer us on—but my point is, four of the best people in our program worked on the project, including myself. Do you really think we're going to get a bad grade on this?"

When Elsa didn't answer, Tadashi pouted, cupped his hands, and went off on a tangent to somehow make sense of his argument. "Okay, I know that was really uncalled for since you weren't able to participate," he stepped in the middle of the room and started to pace back and forth, "You see, I was so close to calling an ambulance, but Wasabi said you were fine—I had the girls check your vitals and everything's stable. I just wanted you to rest because I know that this project was draining you for the past few weeks. I promise you we'll get a good grade. You just need to trust me on this, it'll be— "

Without realizing it, a soft grin tugged at the corner of her lips. It was _cute _to witness Tadashi justifying his actions that were nowhere near to being wrong. Tadashi had a habit of throwing his hands in the air when attempting to explain something to make it more vivid. With his hands going up and about in circles, muscles underneath his thin sweater had started to outline themselves with each stretch and pull. Whatever Tadashi was saying flew out of the window. Distracted blue eyes roved around those huge biceps, and Elsa hardened her jaw, her brain frantically working double time to calibrate her head to shift itself to another direction to something else besides the attractive boy in front of her.

"—and we already aced our last project anyway. Hey, are you listening?" Tadashi came to an abrupt halt upon noticing Elsa clutching at her sheets with fists balled up like she was holding on to them for dear life. He turned his body around to face her, a brow notching in curiosity. "What's up? You okay?"

Elsa jerked her head up exaggeratedly, mouth moving uselessly and incapable of forming words. "I—uh—I'm fine," she said, waving a clumsy hand at him, "Okay, fine. I trust your judgment. And you're right, we did ace that Astrophysics presentation last time."

"We did, and we can do it again," Tadashi nodded encouragingly. "Now, what matters today is that you rest. Can I get you something to eat?"

As if suddenly being reminded of who she was and everything that she has been trying to avoid for the past few weeks, Elsa's instinctively straightened her back, the walls that were barely chipped rebuilding itself and doubling its structure. "That's very kind, but not necessary," she replied, her voice quiet and distant. "I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself."

He didn't mean to, but Tadashi rolled his eyes before he can stop himself. "Right. You pass out for four hours and you're telling me you can take care of yourself? Sure, I know you can. But not right now." He dug his hands in his pockets, heels rocking back and forth, determined to stay where he was and not give in to Elsa's stubbornness.

"Can I take care of you today?" Earnest brown eyes bore into hers, there was nothing in them but kindness and concern, and it made Elsa wonder what she ever did to deserve someone so good—no, of course she didn't deserve him, she had been nothing but cold and ungrateful, and the least she can do was to allow him to be her friend even for just a few minutes. She deserved a little bit of that, right? Even the worst of criminals without conscience had friends.

While Tadashi looked to her for a reply, her gaze travelled back to her occupied sink. For some strange reason, she felt a slight warmness sprouting from her chest just by looking at those empty mugs indicating they had been used by people—actual people who went to her apartment to make sure she was okay. People who helped her finish her project because she couldn't. People who were nothing but nice to her since the very beginning. People who were her _friends_.

The last time she had hot chocolate with someone was back in Arindal, with her little sister. After the accident, she had spent many years drinking coffee and hot chocolate by herself while reliving her happiest memories in her head like a broken record.

"I—I don't know how to thank them," she said, her tone softening against her will, "You guys have done so much—and I don't know how thank them…I don't know how to thank _you_." Elsa gripped her elbows protectively as if she was shielding her chest—her heart—in fear that Tadashi might see how much of a wreck she really was. She tucked her hair behind her ear, face flushed, lips pursed into a thin a line. She could feel Tadashi's eyes on her and she avoided his stare, knowing fully well that they were filled with nothing more but grace that she didn't deserve in this lifetime and the next.

"Well," Tadashi started, assuming his place back on Elsa's bed side, "We're your friends and we care for you, Elsa. You just have to get used to it." He leaned in, taking Elsa's hand from her elbow, his palm brushing against hers. Brown eyes trained themselves on her knuckles, unaware of frantic blues and the tiny gasp that escaped the blonde. "I know you don't feel the same way for me, you made that clear and I get it," he murmured, head still dipped low, "but I still want to be your friend. Please don't take that away from me, that's all I'm asking." He looked up, gave her a close-mouthed smile as his hand reluctantly slid away from hers.

The blush on Elsa's cheek deepened, her heart thrashing aggressively, convincing her it was going to explode. She ground her teeth, resisting the strong and nagging urge to kiss those lips that spoke pretty things. Lips that never failed to curl up into a smile whenever she was around.

She might have loved him unconditionally right at that moment.

"I am your friend," Elsa said around the lump in her throat. She held back a wince and bit her tongue at how brittle her voice sounded, but she continued on, demurely pushing her bangs to the side with a finger. "I appreciate all the effort. What can I do to make it up to you and the…gang?"

And with those words, Tadashi's cheeks bunched up and his grin doubled its size. "Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve? Are you going back to Norway for the holidays?" He asked, his face lighting up like a little kid who had successfully found a treasure chest filled with toys and candies.

She felt her shoulders droop, remembering that she would be spending Christmas by herself again. By choice. "No…I'm not going home. I don't have plans. I'll probably buy textbooks for next semester and start— "

"Would you like to come over for dinner?" Tadashi blurted, stoked by the prospect of having Elsa meet Hiro and Aunt Cass. "I mean, not just you, me—me and you—wait what? It's with the entire gang, too. You get to meet Hiro and Aunt Cass, " he babbled on, hands flying in the air animatedly once again. "Please?"

There it was, the feeling of excitement and joy that she had painstakingly tried to tuck and bury underneath all her layers of self-loathing and feigned apathy, reemerging and mocking her—excitement and joy that washed over her like a wave of redemption whenever Tadashi would smile and laugh. How can she deny him this one thing when all he has ever done was made her happy even though it was something she had tried so hard to ignore and even detest?

Elsa's face went through a series of expressions, lips parting with words unsaid, mind running amok with a thousand excuses to reject his invitation—and that one vital reason as to why she should go: she couldn't bear breaking his heart again like she did the last time.

Tadashi looked at her with sheer anticipation, with hope that she would come around and join him and his family to celebrate a holiday that she had abandoned so many years ago. He looked at her, his eyes imploring and bright, seeing nothing but beauty and radiance and goodness in her that she could not see or dare to find within herself. With her head hanging and her brain exhausting itself with rapid thoughts of what could go wrong, she inhaled deeply, her breath reaching the base of her lungs.

Fighting her own demons and ignoring the negative voices harassing her mind, the conflicted blonde managed a small smile, her blues finally meeting his browns.

"Yes, I would love to have dinner with you and your family."


	9. Coffee Shop

The morning sun streamed its rays through the clear,rectangular windows of the campus Starbucks, a pleasant sign that a new day hasbegun. It was a warm Monday, and the temporary silence was a small luxuryTadashi appreciated knowing fully it would disappear just as quickly as it came. Lucky for him, his usual customers were fellow students who had their classes in the afternoon, save for the ones cramming for exams, making their coffee runs as early as possible while lounging in the café.

Tadashi didn't have classes on Mondays, so he decided to work part time to earn some extra cash to help himself get by without having to rely on Aunt Cass daily for his financial needs. He wanted to lighten up his aunt's load whenever possible by offering his services as a waiter in her bakeshop and by working hard to keep his scholarship.

The young barista wandered around the shop to make sure everything was in order and tidied up. He started to flip chairs off from the tables, refill tissue containers, and eventually, he swept the floor for any lingering dust and garbage. By the time he was finished, Wasabi poked his head out from the back door and greeted him.

"Hey, bro. Bright and early today?" Wasabi asked while stifling a yawn. He was already wearing his green apron, ready to take his place at the cash register.

"Yeah. Mr. Fredriksen called in sick today so I'm _manager_," Tadashi said, emphasizing the last word while using air quotes. He walked behind the counter to place the broom back in the little closet by their break room. After giving Wasabi a quick pat on the shoulder, he rubbed his hands together conspiringly. "Okay, it's time to open up the door."

Wasabi gave him a lazy smile and two thumbs up. "Right with ya, partner."

Tadashi was about to fetch his keys from his pocket but stopped when he saw Honey Lemon's name badge beside the cash register. "By the way, where's Honey?" Tadashi asked upon noticing his coworker's absence. "I thought she's scheduled to work today?"

"She'll be running a little late. Something about a cake mix explosion in her kitchen that she needs to clean up," Wasabi mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Shocking," Tadashi deadpanned. "Okay, I guess it's just you and for now then."

"Just you and me, bro."

It was already past noon and the day was going by extremely slow. Tadashi was covering for Wasabi while he was out on his lunch break, and Honey busied herself by studying the "Secret Starbucks Recipes" she had found on Google, hoping to get customers who would be willing to try beverages that weren't part of the usual menu.

There were only three guests with them, an elderly man whose nose was buried under a newspaper, a student poring through a chemistry textbook, and a woman chatting on her phone animatedly. Tadashi shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a piece of cloth to polish the counter since he couldn't find anything else to do.

With the plaguing thoughts of his upcoming robotics project and the chores that he needed to attend to later at home, he didn't notice her coming in.

Tadashi continued to scrub at the counter, going through every corner and crevice although it was already spotless. He had his tongue sticking out, fully concentrated on his task of erasing a speck of ink stain on one of the keys on the register.

"Hello." A voice as gentle as a whisper interrupted Tadashi's stupor, prompting him to look up.

It had taken everything in him to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. In his presence was the most attractive woman he has ever seen in his life. She was tall and petite, donned in a simple sleeve-less dress. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, platinum blonde, with the bangs swept on the side of her face that boasted a perfectly structured jawline. Cheeks as pale as winter's fresh snow graced the features of this demigod that can launch a thousand ships.

And those eyes under long lashes were piercing blue, rivaling the deepest hue of the ocean, were bright and curious—waiting for his reply.

"Uhh," Tadashi started, a sudden spurt of heat radiating from his neck up to the tips of his ears. "Hi, good a-afternoon. What can I get you today?"

The corner of the girl's lips twitched into a barely-there grin, eyes dancing with unspoken wonder at the sight of the startled boy.

"May I please get a tall, non-fat, Vanilla Soy Latte?" she said, her tone so soft, it was almost inaudible. The moment Tadashi had laid his eyes on her, everything within him buzzed with life as if his veins had been injected with a surge of adrenaline and caffeine. He became hypersensitive of everything in the room, especially with the girl in front him. He heard her loud and clear, ears pricking, wanting to acquaint himself with the sound of her voice.

"Sure thing," he replied with a slight squeak, ignoring the thundering noises his heart was producing behind his chest. A shaky hand rummaged through the drawer for a sharpie, half succeeding when he dropped it on the floor. And almost immediately, he ducked down to search for the troublesome object, stalling for a few seconds so he can regain his composure and hopefully lessen the stupid blush on his cheeks.

_What are you doing it? Woman. Up. But wow, this woman is SO beautiful. Get up. Aunt Cass didn't raise you to be a coward._

"Are you okay?" the girl asked tentatively, raising herself up with her toes to look for the cupid-struck barista that was currently hiding himself.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just looking for my sharpie, that's all." He raised his hand and waved it dismissively before hoisting himself up again. When he was back on his feet, he grabbed a white cup from his side, sharpie held in place by a tightly clenched hand.

He can feel her eyes on him, and Tadashi avoided her gaze, knowing fully well that his face would erupt like wildfire again at the sight of her.

"May I please get your name?" The tip of the sharpie hovered over the white cup, ready to write the name that he would be scribbling on his notebooks with hearts around it for a long, long time. The name that would occupy his thoughts and his daydreams every moment of everyday. The name to a face that he would see whenever he closed his eyes before drifting off to sleep.

There was a pause. Tadashi looked up, his breath catching in his throat as enchanting blue eyes met his dilated browns. A light shade of pink painted the young girl's cheeks and Tadashi's heart did another somersault.

"Elsa. My name is Elsa."


End file.
